As A General Rule...

July 16, 2025

Leadership Notes

     As many of you know, I am not a fan of rallies, protests, marches, or any other such affairs that entail either rabble or rousing or both. As we saw in the July 13 sermon:

What’s the first question Jesus asks his disciples? “Who do the

crowds say that I am?” The word translated as crowds can mean a

great multitude, or, specifically, a confused multitude of people.

{As a general rule, as crowd numbers go up, IQ average goes

down.}

     Things rarely get better with large crowds. As another general rule, large crowds tend to attract a greater share of misfits, miscreants, and/or malcontents. That is one of Pastor Richard’s undeniable truths of life. The only crowd I want to be a part of is what happens here at 5290 Milwaukee Road, any time of day or night. All we’re doing is making worship crowds great again!

     Speaking of crowds, what are your thoughts on illegal immigration? Seems to be in the news a lot lately. One Biblical answer website addresses it this way:

“What does the Bible say about illegal immigration? Is there a

political solution to the immigration crisis in the USA that would

be biblically sound? How should Christians view immigrants,

whether legal or illegal?”

Those are questions they answer in a podcast. My only tweak to how that’s worded is I would take legal immigrants out of the equation. Structured properly and properly enforced, I have no quibble with legal immigration.

     It’s always been interesting how people will use the Bible to fit their preconceived notions or conform to the way they want things to be. A classic term for that is eisegesis. There is a right way and a wrong way to interpret Scripture:

> Eisegesis is the practice of interpreting a text by reading one's own ideas, opinions, or biases into it, rather than drawing meaning from the text itself.

> Exegesis, in its simplest form, means the critical explanation or interpretation of a text, especially a religious text like the Bible. It involves a careful and detailed analysis to understand the text's meaning in its original context.

In other words, “Exegesis and eisegesis are two conflicting approaches in Bible study. Exegesis is the exposition or explanation of a text based on a careful, objective analysis. The word exegesis literally means ‘to lead out of.’ That means that the interpreter is led to his conclusions by following the text. {GotQuestions} In other, other words, “The opposite approach to Scripture is eisegesis, which is the interpretation of a passage based on a subjective, non-analytical reading. The word eisegesis literally means ‘to lead into,’ which means the interpreter injects his own ideas into the text, making it mean whatever he wants.” {Ditto}

     Too many times on too many issues too many people try to get Scripture to say what it doesn’t say. Or add on to what it says what it doesn’t say. Nothing wrong with getting the Bible to say what you want it to say, right? I remember what happened when homelessness was the issue de jour. Some advocates created a breach of sound Biblical interpretation. So sad.

     What about the immigration issue? Do we look reasonably and rationally at it through the lens of God’s word?

     The Bible clearly respects borders and boundaries. Property rights are seen as a sacred trust…we responsibly care for and use for His glory the material blessings which come from God. Unless unbiblical, we respect the rule of law. Citizenship is a gift and sacred trust.

     Therefore:

-      When you legally come to our country, you follow our laws.

-      Respect our culture.

-      Contribute to our economy.

-      Play by our rules.

In my mind, that’s the path to citizenship. If someone doesn’t agree to those terms, they don’t have to be here. This is one possible way of looking at it.

     Next week, we’ll be looking at key takeaways from Booker T. Washington’s classic book, “Character Building.” Until then, here’s something to brighten your hour…your day…your week…your year:

“JESUS DID NOT MAKE SALVATION POSSIBLE. HE

ACCOMPLISHED SALVATION.”

-      Sylvester Tonderai Faravadya

Much Love and Affection,

             Richard