The Trouble of Conspiracies

Based on my experience we seem to be living in the not-so-golden age of conspiracy theories, but the Bible says this is nothing new.  It may be the distrust in government and media are at all time highs yet skeptics, doubters, and those touting hidden agendas have been around since the beginning.  Satan very well might be the first one who promoted a conspiracy when he said to Eve, "Has God really said you cannot eat from the tree in the midst of the garden?"  Lies mixed with truth proved a deadly combination.

It feels like wherever I look there is more evidence of a conspiracy mindset taking hold.  On my news feed I read about anti-vaxers, 5G and COVID combo, and anti-maskers; Christian bookstores sell paperbacks about government schemes and inter-dimensional portals; billboards go up warning about the day the world will end.  Countless documentaries are churned out annually that follow the same pattern:  what you have been led to believe is wrong, hidden evidence with sinister motives is presented to draw possible conclusions, experts are lined up to contribute their opinions, and stay tuned for the next installment--and people pay to eat this stuff up.  Armed with this new knowledge the watcher becomes a walking and talking advertisement campaign designed to prey upon people's fears.  Why pay for advertisement when others do it for free?

Like I said before, conspiracy is nothing new.  Last night I was reading in Isaiah 8 and how God directed His people to look to Him alone when the claims of conspiracy swirled around.  God revealed Israel would fall before Assyria and Ephraim would no more be a people, but He would protect and deliver Judah.  Isaiah spoke the truth in the name of the LORD and when God does the talking let all on the earth take notice.  Time would make the truth of what Isaiah said plain.  If he was wrong one time he was not to be feared or listened to ever again (Deut. 18:20)--and it is wise to put modern-day prognosticators to the same test.  If only people who are put in fear by alleged government conspiracies or a hidden satanic agenda would have the God-confident perspective presented in Isaiah 8:10:  "Take counsel together, but it will come to nothing; speak the word, but it will not stand, for God is with us."

The prophet continued with words which spoke to my heart in Isaiah 8:11-13:  "For the LORD spoke thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying: ¹² "Do not say, 'A conspiracy,' concerning all that this people call a conspiracy, nor be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled. ¹³ The LORD of hosts, Him you shall hallow; let Him be your fear, and let Him be your dread."  Conspiracy preys on fear.  It may be the fear of ignorance, fear of death, and the fear of being controlled and manipulated which only increases with knowledge rather than being lessened.  Isaiah was told not to be afraid of potential threats but to fear the LORD.  It was God who is a stable rock of refuge He was to seek rather than casting his eyes upon a shadowy and foreboding future.

People have always been fascinated by what the future holds and for what is hidden to be made known.  People these days seek counsel on online chats, buy books on how to interpret dreams, and obsess over the implications of a new documentary.  They immerse themselves in online resources and through knowledge gain a sense of control in a mad world.  In Isaiah's day people would go to mediums and wizards to do a similar thing, to tap into the knowledge of spirits to know how to live their lives and have future success with money and relationships.  Mediums claimed to be able to contact souls who had died to be consulted by the living.  Isaiah 8:19-20 says, "And when they say to you, "Seek those who are mediums and wizards, who whisper and mutter," should not a people seek their God? Should they seek the dead on behalf of the living? ²⁰ To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them."  God told His people instead of looking to spirit guides they ought to seek their God!  What could the dead do to assist the living?  Is not God the almighty, living God who created all things whom we fear?  Is God in any way threatened by the schemes of Satan or man?

God directed His people to look to the law and the testimony, to the word of God for guidance.  The fear of the LORD strips us of all fear of man, the unknown, and death.  Jesus Christ is the Light of the World who alone has the words of life.  Books and articles have their benefits but God's Word is all we need.  This may seem boring and cliche to believers or people who are rightly concerned about the bleak outlook for this world or what may be "going on behind the scenes."  Every preacher and pastor will answer to God for how they have interpreted and taught the Bible, and only the LORD knows the heart.  Instead of being afraid of deception or conspiracies, our call is to fear God, know He is with us, and to seek the LORD.  Let us speak according to God's word and walk according to it, not using scripture dishonestly to prop up conspiracies.  Are you afraid of potential threats and troubled?  If you fear the LORD you don't need to be.

Are You Alright?

I recently watched a few videos our ministry team put together with a youth group years ago.  One of the films has a song by Sanctus Real which repeats the chorus:  "I'm not alright, I'm broken inside, broken inside.  And all I go through leads me to you, leads me to you."  These may seem rather depressing lyrics but actually the message is uplifting and true.  We are all broken inside and out in a broken world, yet for a child of God the trials and difficulties of life lead us to seek the LORD who is our refuge and help.

It isn't until we are convinced there is something wrong we will investigate to fix the issue.  A decrease of power in an engine that blows smoke, poor performance of an appliance, or symptoms of illness prompt us to take action.  We live in a world permeated with themes of self-empowerment that are a complete lie, and swallowing them leads to disillusionment and despair.  Only the ones who realise they are indeed broken beyond repair and are introduced to the hope, strength, and redemption through Jesus Christ can avail themselves of the healing and restoration found through Him.  Through a pesky messenger of Satan that buffeted him Paul realised when he was weak he was strong because through faith discovered God's power beyond himself.

I have no desire to be controversial nor intend to make a political statement:  whether we tout our "willpower," "manpower," "Girl Power," "Black Power," or any other power it has a limit, therefore has an end, and will end in futility.  The power of mankind cannot compare to the power of God which is infinite and eternal.  Historically mankind has used power to abuse and oppress others but God's power is to save rather than destroy.  Jesus came to set captives free from the prison of sin, bondage to Satan, and the shackles of self.  He laid down His own life on Calvary to provide the means for sinners to become saints, for spiritual inner transformation which will become evident to all.  Admitting our need for forgiveness and salvation is the necessary step to receiving it.

The song "I'm Not Alright" continues this modern day psalm directed to the almighty God:  "Burn away the pride, bring me to my weakness until everything I hide behind is gone.  And when I'm open wide with nothing left to cling to only you are there to lead me on 'cause honestly, I'm not that strong."  No matter your physical and mental strength it can be exhausted, and what a joy it is to realise brokenness leads desperate people to the LORD every day.  If we could we would be foolish enough to create a world that resembles our conceptions of heaven, it would be a place where there is no sickness, sadness, or sorrow, a place where miracles are unnecessary, a utopia where restoration or redemption is impossible, a place without need of God.  How good God is to prompt us to seek Him out and choose His love, to redeem our brokenness for healing and our weakness for strength.

The Word Who Speaks

Today an electrician and apprentice did some wiring for me.  I had met the duo previously months ago when they installed a few LED signs.  "I think we've met before," the apprentice said.  "I recognise your voice."  I have been told on several occasions I have a "distinct" voice, and I'm not sure what makes it so.  Apparently it is a primary distinguishing characteristic that is more memorable than a buzz-cut and questionable taste in apparel.

Interestingly Jesus compared Himself to a Good Shepherd whose sheep know His voice.  From a great distance sheep will respond to the call of their shepherd, and it is a great analogy of how those who know Jesus as LORD will sense His leading.  It may not be with audible voice we hear with our ears but a thought that comes to us which was not our own:  it does not align with our fleshly desires, nor is it a conclusion we arrived at by consideration.  It can be very brief but profound, is well-directed to speak to our hearts, agrees with scripture, and corrects with a loving tone.  Our response to the voice of our Saviour Jesus indicates He is our LORD and draws us into fellowship with Him as we meditate on God's Word.

Jesus said in John 10:11-18, "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. ¹² But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. ¹³ The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. ¹⁴ I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. ¹⁵ As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. ¹⁶ And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd. ¹⁷ Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. ¹⁸ No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father."

Jesus was sent to the "lost sheep" of Israel, and He also called sheep "not of this fold" (Gentiles) that would hear His voice and respond.  We who were afar off have been invited to draw near by the grace of God, brought into the kingdom of God, and adopted by God as His beloved children.  Jesus called to those who were weary and heavy laden, to those who thirst, to all sinners, to whosoever will respond and receive forgiveness of sins by God's grace.  Isn't it wonderful that God who gave Himself for us continues to speak to us?  He has called us to Himself and also communes with us as friends.  When we speak to Him He hears our voice, and it brings delight to Him beyond words.

The Righteous Key

With the current study of the Gospel of Luke at Calvary Chapel Sydney, I have been reminded of the importance to refrain from "spiritualising" scripture and especially parables.  This happens when we move away from the plain meaning of the text to create an allegory.  Spiritualising makes scriptural interpretation bow to arbitrary keys inserted to supposedly unlock hidden truth.  Try to use the incorrect key on a security door on a house and you will be denied entry, but using the incorrect key to allegedly unlock a parable has led to misinterpretation and wrong application.  I am not suggesting there is only one correct interpretation or application of a particular passage:  my intent is to warn against the error of spiritualising parables, a practise that is more common than one may think.

We are blessed many parables include an explanation from Jesus Himself.  The Parable of the Sower is one of the most famous as it is referenced in the Gospel accounts of Matthew, Mark, and Luke.  Without the explanation of Jesus we would be left to guess what the seed, birds, and different soils represent.  In Mark 4 Jesus provided keys to understand the significance of these aspects:  the seed is the word of God, the birds that ate seed on the footpath is the devil who steals the Word away, and the shallow, weed stricken, and good soils represent the conditions of the hearts of hearers to receive the word and be fruitful.  Because a key works on one lock it does not necessary fit another.  For instance, not every time seed is referenced in a parable it is God's Word, nor does it mean birds in parables always allude to satanic influence.

Proof of this is seen in Matthew 13.  Directly after the Parable of the Sower Jesus taught using the Parable of the Wheat and Tares and explained it.  In this parable a man sowed good seed in his field yet during the night an enemy came and sabotaged his efforts by planting tares--a weed that has no nutritional value and to the undiscerning eye looks like wheat.  While the explanation of the sower remains the same, the seed in this parable means something different than before.  In response to the request of His disciples Matthew 13:37-39 tells us, "He answered and said to them: "He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. ³⁸ The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. ³⁹ The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels."  In this parable the good seeds are the "sons of the kingdom."  If we assume the seed was God's word we would misinterpret what Jesus said.  The logic follows we would be wrong to assume every time birds were referenced in a parable they allude to Satan.  We must take great care not to assume or suppose because when we do--not being God and His ways being higher than ours--we can be wrong.  And in the case of those who teach, we can lead others astray.

Parables are examples from the natural world used to teach spiritual truth to those who hear believing, and the same conceals truth from unbelievers.  Each parable stands on its own merit and the explanation of Jesus--coupled with the context--aids us in rightly interpreting and understanding them.  It is true that some parables are not explained by Jesus and thankfully we are not without the context or the ability to cross-reference passages to see what circumstances prompted a parable, who Jesus was speaking to, or why He said what He did like in Luke 18:9:  "Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others..."  Through the entire testimony of scripture with the aid of the Holy Spirit there can be a variety of correct interpretations and great latitude for personal application.  Jesus is able to open our understanding to comprehend the scriptures (Luke 24:45), and may we learn to rightly divide them for His glory.  LORD, teach us to prepare our hearts to receive your Word that we might be fruitful.