Authored By :
Bill Kochman
Published On :
March 26, 2020
Last Updated :
August 29, 2020
God Is Our Provider And Sustainer, Don't Try To Limit How God Must Provide Your Needs, Elderly Christians Who Receive Social Security Or Retirement Benefits, Beware Of Christians Who Only Rely On YouTube Vids And Other Questionable Sources To Prove A Point, Conspiracy Theory Trap, Do You Search The Scriptures To Verify The Truth?, Point People To God's Word, Humility In Our Understanding, God's Eternal Word Is A More Sure Word Of Prophecy That Builds Faith And Leads To Christ, Wresting The Scriptures To Their Own Destruction, Christians Should Help Each Other, Good Samaritan, Antioch Brethren Help The Jerusalem Brethren, Faith Without Works Is Dead, Amazing First Century Church Spirit Of Love Caring And Sharing, Our Self-Serving Cold Callous World, For Men Shall Be Lovers Of Their Own Selves, Christians Should Be Known By Our Love, The Love Verses, Concluding Remarks, BBB Suggested Reading List
Continuing our discussion from part three, the one point I do agree with from the previous quote is where they say "Only God sustains." Yes, God is indeed both our Provider and our Sustainer. I have absolutely no problem with that whatsoever. The Lord has indeed provided well for me over the years since I first dedicated my life to serving Him so many years ago. He has kept the promises in His Word, such as the following wonderful verses regarding provision:
"Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:"
Isaiah 59:1, KJV
"Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart . . . I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread."
Psalm 37:4, 25, KJV
"Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it."
Malachi 3:10, KJV
"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof."
Matthew 6:33-34, KJV
"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened . . . If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?"
Matthew 7:7-8, 11, KJV
"And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive."
Matthew 21:22, KJV
"Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows."
Luke 12:6-7, KJV
"He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?"
Romans 8:32, KJV
"Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen."
Ephesians 3:20-21, KJV
"But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus."
Philippians 4:19, KJV
"And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him."
1 John 5:14-15, KJV
So while we do have clear promises that God will provide our daily needs if we are seeking first His Kingdom in our lives, the question which still remains is this: What if the way the Lord chooses to provide for us is through the local, state or national government? Are we just supposed to reject it? As we saw earlier, Joseph's brothers most certainly didn't do this. Those boys were quite hungry, so it would have been foolish for them to do so. But you see, as we have already discussed, that is where this person falls short. In a sense, because they have such a strong distrust of governmental authorities -- don't we all? -- they are trying to dictate how God must provide. They are endeavoring to set limits on God. Anything but the government, seems to be their mantra. If the money is coming from the government, no thanks! It is wrong, and it is a sin! It is selling your soul to "the beast system". Well, at least so they say.
The funny thing is, in their final response to me before I cut off communication with them, they basically accused me of being naive and gullible, of being too afraid to even criticize the government, and sucking up to the government. Just by even saying those things, they clearly revealed how little of my body of work they have actually read. As any of my regular readers will know, in quite a few of my many articles, I do not hesitate to expose the many sins of my homeland. In fact, not only do I do this in my articles, but I do it in some of my poems, and in many of my graphics as well. So it is rather obvious that this person is clueless when it comes to what I actually think and believe.
You know, I really have to wonder what this person thinks of elderly Christians who survive from month to month on their Social Security check, or on Retirement Benefits, or perhaps on some other type of government-based assistance. If, as my friend states, we are not to expect or trust the government to provide us with financial assistance, and if doing so is wrong and a sin as they say, should we assume then that the persons I just mentioned are also committing a sin; that they have no faith; that they are not truly serving God; that they have made money and government their god; and that they are part of the wicked "beast system" as this person refers to it? I think you know my answer to such questions without me even saying it. Clearly then, this person's thinking is flawed.
Let me mention that what I also found interesting regarding this person's responses, is that neither in their original post, or in any of their responses to me, did they quote a single Scripture. Instead, they pointed me to YouTube videos and other questionable sources which, as we all know, are filled with rather "iffy" conspiracy theories and a lot of other strange nonsense. So can there be any doubt as to why this person is confused if they are constantly referring to that kind of doubtful information to prove their point?
Sadly, this seems to be the case with quite a number of my Christian brethren who fall into the conspiracy theory trap. In other words, in their endeavors to validate and build up their case, they will point people to this website, and to that website, or to this YouTube video, or to that video, or to this author's book, or to that author's book. In short, they direct their friends and readers to every place except to the right place; and that of course is to the Holy Bible. This point alone should alarm any Bible-believing Christian. It should stand out as a red flag and warning, that what the person is saying or preaching may not be true, and perhaps should not be trusted. That is why I have often reminded my readers of the faithful Bereans who we are told in the Book of Acts, wisely searched the Scriptures in order to determine if what Paul and Silas were sharing with them regarding Jesus was true. Consider this set of verses:
"And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. Therefore many of them believed; also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few."
Acts 17:10-12, KJV
If there is one thing that my longtime readers already know, it is that I make it a regular practice to always point them to the Scriptures, so that they can see why I believe as I do, and also so that their faith will be in God's Word, and not just in what I say. After all, I am only human, and I can be wrong about some things. I've never once claimed to have a perfect understanding of the Scriptures, and it would be most foolhardy of me to do so. We all need to have humility when it comes to our level of understanding of God's Word. We must not get the big head, or get puffed up, as the Bible calls it. I am reminded of verses such as the following:
"Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth."
1 Corinthians 8:1, KJV
"And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, HE KNOWETH NOTHING YET AS HE OUGHT TO KNOW."
1 Corinthians 8:2, KJV
"From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling; Desiring to be teachers of the law; UNDERSTANDING NEITHER WHAT THEY SAY, NOR WHEREOF THEY AFFIRM."
1 Timothy 1:6-7, KJV
"If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; HE IS PROUD, KNOWING NOTHING, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself."
1 Timothy 6:3-5, KJV
Not only that, but I am convinced that it is God's straight Word which builds up a person's faith. It is God's Word which is forever settled in Heaven. It is God's Word which is the "more sure word of prophecy." And it is only God's Word which leads a person to Jesus Christ. All of the odd, questionable conspiracy theories that some people -- including quite a few Christians -- like to promote and argue about for many hours, are nothing compared to the unadulterated Word of God. Such questionable things do NOT lead to Eternal Life. They are simply red herrings, time wasters and distractions from the truth. Allow me to share some additional verses with you regarding this subject:
". . . For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven . . . Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word . . . Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever."
Psalm 119:89, 14, 160, KJV
"I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name."
Psalm 138:2, KJV
"We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts . . . For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost."
2 Peter 1:19, 21, KJV
"God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?"
Numbers 23:19, KJV
"Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:"
Isaiah 46:9-10, KJV
"And when this cometh to pass, (lo, it will come,) then shall they know that a prophet hath been among them."
Ezekiel 33:33, KJV
"I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him. That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past."
Ecclesiastes 3:14-15, KJV
"God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged."
Romans 3:4, KJV
"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:"
2 Timothy 3:16, KJV
"In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;"
Titus 1:2, KJV
"So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."
Romans 10:17, KJV
Sadly, even when some of these conspiracy theorists do quote a Bible verse occasionally, quite often, they will twist its meaning so that it conforms to what they want to believe, and to what they want others to believe. As you may already know, the Apostle Peter recognized this same problem occurring in the First Century Church as well. This point becomes evident in the following verse where he mentions how some brethren were wresting -- or twisting and perverting, from the Koine Greek word "strebloo" -- the meanings of some of the Apostle Paul's writings, as well as perverting other Scriptures:
"As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction."
2 Peter 3:16, KJV
Now, in regards to my friend's latter statement concerning looking to our Christian brethren for help, I am obviously in agreement with that point. As I mentioned in part three, we should help each other out, if it is within our power to do so, just as we see occurring in the Book of Acts, and even in the example of the Parable of the Good Samaritan, as we see in this group of verses:
"And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise."
Luke 10:30-37, KJV
I am likewise reminded of verses such as the following ones where we are also admonished to engage in works of Christian charity with those people who are struggling, or sick, and in need of help in one form or another. In the first example, we see how the brethren at the Church in Antioch decided to take up a collection for the brethren in Jerusalem upon hearing of a coming famine, or dearth:
"And in these days came prophets from Jerusalem unto Antioch. And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the Spirit that there should be great dearth throughout all the world: which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar. Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren which dwelt in Judaea: Which also they did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul."
Acts 11:27-30, KJV
"What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works."
James 2:14-18, KJV
While life was no doubt harsh -- and oft times dangerous -- back then for our Christian brethren, at the same time, it must have been wonderful to see and learn from Jesus, and to be a member of the First Century Church. The spirit of love and caring and sharing must have been absolutely amazing. In contrast, sadly, and to our own shame, we need to recognize that we live in a very different world today. As many of us already know, the love of many has indeed grown cold, and many people have become greedy, selfish, callous of heart and lovers of their own selves. I am reminded of this set of verses:
"And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold."
Matthew 24:12, KJV
"And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing."
1 Corinthians 13:2, KJV
"He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love."
1 John 4:8, KJV
"This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. FOR MEN SHALL BE LOVERS OF THEIR OWN SELVES, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away."
2 Timothy 3:1-5, KJV
Obviously, there are still a certain number of churches and Christian organizations which do engage in charitable works. However, I have noticed that on occasion, their charity is extended only to members of their own church, while if it is shared with others, it is done so rather grudgingly. To add to this tragedy, many modern Christians haven't been able to resist the secular spirit. Many of them have likewise become worldly, materialistic and self-centered, and they possess little desire to help anyone, other than their own selves. As the coronavirus pandemic continues to spread its tentacles around the world, and as more and more people begin to feel the financial crunch in their lives, it would be great if we could see a revival of the same Spirit of Love for which our ancient Christian brethren were known. As Jesus said in the Gospel of John:
"By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."
John 13:35, KJV
Let me conclude this series with the following group of verses which emphasize how important of a role Christian love played in the First Century Church:
"Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."
Matthew 22:36-40, KJV
"As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."
John 15:9-13, KJV
"Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law."
Romans 13:8-10, KJV
"Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth."
1 Corinthians 8:1, KJV
"And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity."
1 Corinthians 13:13, KJV
"For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."
Galatians 5:14, KJV
"If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:"
James 2:8, KJV
"And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins."
1 Peter 4:8, KJV
For additional information and further study, you may want to refer to the list of reading resources below which were either mentioned in this article, or which contain topics which are related to this series. All of these articles are likewise located on the Bill's Bible Basics web server. To read these articles, simply click or tap on any link you see below.