Sons of Disobedience

So a young man got a hold of me after about 2 years. I met him when I was in another part of Mexico he was just getting out of the equivalent of high school, preparatory school (prepa or preparatorio) they call it. He ran the store around the block for his uncle in the evenings and I'd stop by and we'd have long conversations on hot summer nights when there wasn't much else to do. Sit out and wait for customers talk about all kinds of things.

Anyway I moved off to another beach town, and he moved off to Monterrey to University. He got a hold of my kid while playing an online game a few months ago and asked about me, and we got back into contact.

So he asked me what I thought about what was going on in the world scene all of the chaos, the pandemic, the protests in the United States over the summer (we were getting lots of red sunsets, sometimes the sun completly disappearing before sunset, from all the smoke blowing down from all the forests on fire), the power struggle between the two major political parties.

He talked about conspiracy theories he had heard, and other confusing and conflicting reports we get from the news media and social media outlets and tried to get my take on it all. I said, to tell the truth, it is all confusing and it's really hard to understand what is truth and what not anymore, listening to so many conflicting accounts.

But then I said the real issue is a lot deeper than what you see in the news, and there is a reliable source that tells us why things are the way they are. He says, what does the Bible say? He was curious as to what God's word has to say as to what is happening on the world scene, he knows I would have an answer as on those late summer nights often we would discuss the Bible.

I said, the real issues are a lot deeper than what you see portrayed on the news or are learning about in University. Then I said I want you to read a scripture, he opens it and reads it (we were talking on Zoom):

"Furthermore, God made you alive, though you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you at one time walked according to the system of things of this world, according to the ruler of the authority of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience."-Ephesians 2:1, 2.

He asks me, what does this mean "authority of the air." I asked him what is the air used for? He said to breath in. I said, correct, we can't escape the air. You can't live without it. Now it says here that there is a ruler of the air. That's God he replies. No, God is not the ruler referred to here. Notice it says that this spirit that the ruler promulgates is working in the "sons of disobedience."

Who is it, he asked. Satan is the ruler of the world. He doesn't understand so we read the temptations of Christ in Matthew 4. In one of these the Devil tempts Jesus offering him rulership over all the kingdoms of the world. Wait, so the Devil has the power over the kingdoms of mankind, he asks. Yes.

Now notice what this says, it says that at one time you were dead. Obviously this isn't a literal death, because he was talking to people who were living and to us who were to live. So this is a spiritual death, he reasons. Correct. In God's eyes a spiritual death is the same as literal death as only a spiritual person gains life. Notice it says you were made alive, though you were dead in your trespasses. Now notice this, we all at one time walked according to the system of things, that is this world ruled by Satan the Devil.

Now Satan and his demons what sort of spirit do they promulgate? We know it tells us here. But from the beginning what did they do? Satan rebelled and was disobedient. He is a liar and the father of the lie and a man-slayer, a murderer, according to John 8:44. A little further on in Ephesians it tells us who the real authorities of the earth are and where the real war is being waged notice:

"Because we have a struggle, not against blood and flesh, but against the governments, against the authorities, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the wicked spirit forces in the heavenly places."-Ephesians 6:12.

This is the "ruler of the authority of the air." These wicked spirit forces in the heavenly places are the real controllers behind the scene. Notice that Ephesians 2:2 says that their spirit is like the air, it is impossible to avoid. And that it influences and drives those who are "dead" spiritually. The spirit of being disobedient to authority, rebellious, protests, etc, this is the the mental bent of Satan and his demonic henchmen and they have a wickedly controlling influence over mankind. So what we see going on in today's society is influenced by wicked spirit forces.

He asked me what side I was taking in all of the hullabaloo, simply told him that there is no need to take sides. We have already seen that Satan is the real ruler of the world. No matter how well-intentioned and innocent a person may be getting into political office, he has forces far more sinister and powerful than him at work. There is no way human government would fix things. It doesn't matter how wonderful sounding the promises are. They all eventually end up in failure.

There is a proverb that talks about this. About acquiring more wisdom. It only increases the pain of the person. The more a person acquires wisdom in a profession, any profession, be it , medical science, the law, political, whatever, the more a person takes in knowledge and acquires wisdom as to what happens in the world and the outcome of everything, the increasing of wisdom is only the increasing of pain as the wiser a person gets, the more they can perceive accurately what is going on and the helplessness of humankind to fix it, the more hopeless things seem:

"For an abundance of wisdom brings an abundance of frustration,
So that whoever increases knowledge increases pain."-Ecclesiastes 1:18.

I then said, Jesus said his followers are not part of the world. When the religious hypocrites of his day tried to catch him in their cunning and asked him if they should pay taxes to Caesar, for the Jews did not like Roman rule, Jesus perceiving their hypocrisy simply states, asking for a Denarii and when they said Caesar's resemblance was on it, he said, "pay back therefore Cesar's things to Cesar, but God's things to God."

All rulership is allowed by God, even that of Satan. All human rule has been allowed by God. So we are required to be obedient to the superior authorities, pay the taxes. But we are no part of the world. We are awaiting God's real government in heaven. This is the real universal war that is being waged. It is a war between gods. Between Jehovah and Satan. Earth is the focal point. And we are living in the most significant and relevant period in human history when marvelous prophecies foretold from times long lasting are now being fulfilled, and even more glorious ones are soon to be fulfilled.

I believe you're right and that we are living in the end times. As it says, "This generation shall not pass before these things are fulfilled." Israel became a nation in 1948, so we're getting very close.


TCB

Pay your taxes not to offend the greedy rulers of the world, but if your father dies, don't worry about it, let others deal with it.

"But so that we may not cause offense, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours." (Matthew 17:27)

...

Another of His disciples requested, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father. But Jesus told him, "Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead." (Matthew 8:21-22)

originally posted by: hiddenhistory
Pay your taxes not to offend the greedy rulers of the world, but if your father dies, don't worry about it, let others deal with it.

"But so that we may not cause offense, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours." (Matthew 17:27)

...

Another of His disciples requested, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father. But Jesus told him, "Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead." (Matthew 8:21-22)

That first quote Jesus was talking about himself. If you remember he was asked if he pays tax and he reasoned who pays taxes the son of the king or the strangers? Let me look it up here for you:

"After they arrived in Ca·perʹna·um, the men collecting the two drachmas tax approached Peter and said: “Does your teacher not pay the two drachmas tax?” 25 He said: “Yes.” However, when he entered the house, Jesus spoke to him first and said: “What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth receive duties or head tax? From their sons or from the strangers?” 26 When he said: “From the strangers,” Jesus said to him: “Really, then, the sons are tax-free."-Matthew 17:24-26.

So Jesus was basically saying that as the son of God he was under no obligation to pay taxes to anyone. Simple as that. But in order not to stumble anyone he paid the tax. But he made the point that he was under no obligation to do so. He didn't say his followers were in that position though.

That second statement has more to do with the heart condition of the person. If he was really going to just go bury his dad there obviously wasn't going to be a problem. It seems that his father was still alive. Basically he was putting off being a follower of Jesus, wanting to do so after his father had died. We shouldn't have the attitude of putting off serving God. We need to do so as soon as we can.

I taught computer classes for nine years in the 90s, I told countless students that 8 bits = 1 byte hence the bite of the apple - Apple's logo. A few weeks ago, I realized it was Eve's bite.

originally posted by: BlissSeeker
I taught computer classes for nine years in the 90s, I told countless students that 8 bits = 1 byte hence the bite of the apple - Apple's logo. A few weeks ago, I realized it was Eve's bite.

Is that where they got the logo? I didn't know that.

The difference in bytes and bites is also why cable companies will advertise for example 30Mpbs download speeds, and that rounds out to around 3MB second.

All rulership is allowed by God, even that of Satan. All human rule has been allowed by God. So we are required to be obedient to the superior authorities, pay the taxes.

Your idealogy presents a problem. Those Christians born under nazi regime ordered by nazi authorities to kill Jewish woman and children go to heaven, Whereas those that refused murdering woman and children go to hell.

Is that the deal?

a reply to: glend

No. The Jewish people were not Hitler's purview (as in submit to Caesar what is Caesar's). Therefore, Hilter ordering the Nazis to kill the Jews was an illegitimate order and true Christians could resist.

a reply to: Iamonlyhuman

"Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves."

Determing if the Jews were Hitlers purview or not is questioning Gods authority. That is the problem when one believes words in a book are words from God. Taken literally they can result in the promotion of evil. Which occured during the dark ages under christian rule.

So rather than view Christianity as an idealogy. The gospels should be considered thoughts from other minds that may help guide us to our spirituality. Realizing that the minds that wrote those wotds are as fallible as our own. That the only truth is God and that truth exist in the inner solitude of ones own heart. Not in the mind that reads words of a book. One is not the other.

“There is no need to look for God here or there. He is no farther away than the door of your own heart.”
― Meister Eckhart

originally posted by: glend

All rulership is allowed by God, even that of Satan. All human rule has been allowed by God. So we are required to be obedient to the superior authorities, pay the taxes.

Your idealogy presents a problem. Those Christians born under nazi regime ordered by nazi authorities to kill Jewish woman and children go to heaven, Whereas those that refused murdering woman and children go to hell.

Is that the deal?

Oh, no, not at all.

Remember Jesus said pay to Caesar the things of Caesar and God the things of God. Where Caesar's law conflicts with God's law a Christian must obey God as absolute ruler.

No Christian would take sides in political parties or wars of the world. Remember, Jesus' followers are "no part of the world."

In fact In Nazi Germany the very first person to be executed for objecting to going to war to kill his fellow brothers in conflict with God's law to love your brother, and you must not murder, was a Christian. In fact thousands of Christians, known as Jehovah's Witnesses were murdered in the concentration camps for refusing to fight for Hitler because of their Bible trained consciences as real Christians.

Just because a person claims to be a Christian doesn't make them so. Jesus said that you would know them by their fruit.

a reply to: MidnightHawk

Thanks for explaining MidnightHawk, that outlook seems far more pleasing to my concept of spirituality. However, I do find it worrisome that one has to negate one peace of scripture, with another. That suggests that religion is moulded by our beliefs rather than our beliefs being moulded by scripture....

“Worthy, therefore, of rejection is every one who is willing so much as to hear anything against the monarchy of God; but if any one dares to hear anything against God, as trusting in the Scriptures, let him first of all consider with me that if any one, as he pleases, form a dogma agreeable to himself, and then carefully search the Scriptures, he will be able to produce many testimonies from them in favour of the dogma that he has formed. How, then, can confidence be placed in them against God, when what every man wishes is found in them?
source

Explaning why you remain a passive observer of world affairs whereas people like MLK, reading the same book, became activist for human rights.

Perhaps the bible is a mirror that reflects what is in our hearts.

a reply to: MidnightHawk

It was originally said the bite was taken so it wouldn't look like a cherry. I'm more into symbolism these days...