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A Mary T. Hoffman Commentary from All-Creatures.org

 

"Joyful Curmudgeon" An oxymoron?
No! I see all the beauty of God's creation and I'm joyful.  At the same time, I see all the suffering and corruption going on in the world, and feel called to help expose and end it so that we may have true peace and compassion.

 

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The World – 5 August 2008
By Mary T. Hoffman

The word “world” is mentioned 287 times in the King James Version of the Bible and 247 times in the New American Standard Bible.

Jesus tells us that even though we are “in the world,” we are not to be “of the world.” In John 18:36, He says, “My kingdom is not of this world.”

In 1 John 2:15-17 we are told:

15 Do not love the world, nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.

17 And the world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God abides forever.
NASB

In praying to God, Jesus had this to say about those who truly believed in Him (John 17:14-16):

14 "I have given them Thy word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

15 "I do not ask Thee to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one.

16 "They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world." NASB

The “evil one” mentioned in the above passage is Satan whom Jesus calls “the ruler of this world” (John 12:31 and 14:30), and whom Paul refers to as “the god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4).

And in John 12:25, Jesus says:

25 "He who loves his life loses it; and he who hates his life in this world shall keep it to life eternal.”
NASB

It is easy to see that those who derive pleasure from the direct or indirect exploitation of animals, whether it’s through food, clothing or entertainment, fall into the category of the ones Jesus describes as loving their lives in this fallen world. Those who have had their “spiritual eyes” opened know what He is talking about and begin to hate the corruption and cruelty in this world.

It becomes obvious that continuing to take pleasure in killing any animal – including fish – is “of the world” and not of God. There is no hunting or fishing in heaven. Genesis 1:29 and Revelation 21:4, the beginning and the end, make it very clear what God’s original intent was and that He will bring it to pass, as it says in Revelation 21:4 – “He will wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying, nor pain. All of that has gone forever.”

And let’s not forget Isaiah’s prophecy of the Peaceable Kingdom (Isaiah 11:6-9):

6 And the wolf will dwell with the lamb,
And the leopard will lie down with the kid,
And the calf and the young lion and the fatling together;
And a little boy will lead them.

7 Also the cow and the bear will graze;
Their young will lie down together;
And the lion will eat straw like the ox.

8 And the nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra, And the weaned child will put his hand on the viper's den.

9 They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain,
For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD
As the waters cover the sea. NASB

It’s clear that God’s original intent was for a world that is vegan, and that He will bring it to pass.

Go on to: Lance Landall – 6 August 2008
Return to: Thought for Today – 4 August 2008
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