Following Yeshua’s command to carry His message into all the world

 

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Sowing the Word from Central Kentucky.

Following Yeshua’s command to carry His message into all the world.

When Yeshua told His disciples to carry His message to all nations, they had no internet, microphones, or printing presses. They traveled roads, crossed seas, entered homes, and spoke wherever people would listen.

Today, from my home in central Kentucky, I can share a Bible study that someone on the other side of the world may read.

I consider that a blessing—and a responsibility. My goal is to do as Yeshua instructed: share His message, point people toward Yahweh, and encourage them to open their Bibles and examine what they believe.

But what does Scripture teach about carrying out that work? And what should we expect when we sow the seed?

1. Yeshua commanded His disciples to teach all nations

Read Matthew 28:18–20.

Yeshua declared that all authority in heaven and on earth had been given to Him. He then instructed His followers to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them and teaching them to observe everything He had commanded.

The commission involves more than attracting attention or gathering an audience. It means helping people become disciples—learners who put His teaching into practice.

Notice the scope of the instruction:

• All nations: His message crosses national and cultural boundaries.
• Everything He commanded: We must teach faithfully, without selecting only the comfortable parts.
• An enduring promise: He assured His disciples of His presence to the end of the age.

Luke 24:46–47 also connects this worldwide proclamation with Yeshua’s suffering and resurrection, and with repentance and forgiveness of sins.

His message offers hope while calling people to turn from sin and walk in obedience.

2. The message is the good news of Yahweh’s Kingdom

Read Mark 1:14–15 and Matthew 24:14.

Yeshua proclaimed the good news of the Kingdom and called people to repent and believe.

The message we carry should therefore lead people toward Yahweh’s rule, Yeshua’s teaching, repentance, forgiveness, and the hope of resurrection.

Warnings about deception have their place. Yeshua Himself warned against false prophets in Matthew 7:15–20. Warnings should help people find truth and follow Him. They should serve the larger purpose of teaching His message.

Read 2 Corinthians 4:5.

Paul explained that he and his fellow workers proclaimed the Messiah as Lord and presented themselves as servants.

That is the spirit I want in my own efforts. The purpose is to direct attention toward Yeshua and the Scriptures.

3. The sower’s task is to scatter the seed

Read Matthew 13:1–23, Mark 4:1–20, and Luke 8:4–15.

Yeshua described a sower scattering seed. The seed landed on different kinds of ground, with very different results.

He explained the central picture plainly:

“The seed is the word of God.”
—Luke 8:11, KJV

The seed represents Yahweh’s word. The different soils describe different responses to hearing it.

This matters for anyone sharing Scripture. We can make the message available, explain it carefully, and encourage people to consider it. We cannot force another person to receive it.

The seed beside the path

Some seed fell on the path and was eaten by birds.

Yeshua explained that some people hear the word, but it is taken away before it takes root. Matthew’s account specifically mentions hearing without understanding.

This encourages us to explain Scripture clearly and patiently. A reader may need help understanding the context, the language, or how passages fit together.

The seed on rocky ground

Some seed sprang up quickly but withered because it lacked deep roots.

Yeshua compared this to people who receive the message joyfully but fall away when trouble or persecution comes because of the word.

An enthusiastic response is a beginning. Disciples also need roots: understanding, conviction, prayer, and continued obedience.

The seed among thorns

Some seed grew among thorns that choked it.

Yeshua identified the cares of life, the deceitfulness of riches, and other desires as things that can crowd out the word.

This warning applies to those who teach as well as those who listen. We must ask whether our own worries, ambitions, and distractions are leaving room for the truth to bear fruit.

The seed on good ground

Some seed fell on good soil and produced a crop.

Luke 8:15 describes people who hear the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.

Notice that last word: patience.

Spiritual growth takes time. A study someone reads today may cause them to reconsider a belief months later. A Scripture they initially overlook may return to mind during a difficult season.

Our responsibility is to sow faithfully and keep living by the word ourselves.

4. Yahweh gives the increase

Read 1 Corinthians 3:5–9.

Paul described himself and Apollos as servants. One planted, another watered, but Yahweh gave the growth.

That helps us keep a proper perspective on sharing Bible studies.

One person may introduce a passage. Another may explain it. Someone else may encourage the reader to act on it. We may never know how our small contribution fits into the larger work.

A large audience does not by itself establish faithfulness, and a small audience does not mean an effort is worthless.

Online visits can show that material is being accessed, but they cannot tell us how many people understood it, believed it, or changed their lives. Some visits may also be automated. The fruit described in the parable reaches deeper than a page counter.

I can be thankful that my studies are available around the world while leaving the spiritual results in Yahweh’s hands.

5. We must sow with truth, humility, and love

Read 2 Timothy 2:24–25, Ephesians 4:15, and 1 Peter 3:15.

These passages call for patient teaching, truth spoken in love, and answers given with gentleness and respect.

Strong conviction should go together with a willingness to examine our own understanding.

When I publish a study, I should ask:

• Have I considered the passage in context?
• Have I distinguished Scripture from my interpretation?
• Are factual claims supported?
• Does my tone help someone consider the truth?
• Am I willing to correct an error?

Acts 17:11 commends the Bereans for examining the Scriptures to test what they were taught.

I want readers to do the same with what I write. Open the Bible. Read the surrounding verses. Examine the evidence. Our loyalty belongs to Yahweh.

6. A home can become a place of service

Read Acts 28:30–31.

While living under restriction in Rome, Paul received visitors in his rented home and taught about the Kingdom and Yeshua.

His circumstances were very different from mine, but the passage offers encouragement: meaningful service can happen from a home.

A person does not need a large building, a broadcasting studio, or an impressive title to share a passage of Scripture, offer encouragement, or explain the hope within them.

From a home in central Kentucky, a Bible study can become available to readers across languages, borders, and time zones. I may never meet them or know their circumstances.

That opportunity humbles me. I am thankful for the tools that make it possible, and I want to use them responsibly.

7. Keep sowing, even when the results are hidden

Read Ecclesiastes 11:6 and Galatians 6:9.

Ecclesiastes encourages continued sowing because we do not know which effort will prosper. Galatians encourages perseverance in doing good.

There will be times when we wonder whether anyone is listening.

The parable of the sower prepares us for mixed responses. Some will dismiss the message. Some will receive it briefly. Some will become distracted. Others will hold it fast and bear fruit.

We do not know every heart. We do not see every result.

But we can keep studying, keep growing, and keep sharing what we have learned with care.

My purpose in this work

My goal is to do as Yeshua instructed: help carry His message into the world.

These Bible studies are my effort to sow the seed—to encourage repentance, obedience, understanding, and hope, and to help people examine teachings in the light of Scripture.

How blessed I am to be able to do this from my home in central Kentucky.

I cannot make the seed grow. I cannot measure another person’s heart. But I can prepare the studies carefully, share them honestly, and trust Yahweh with the results.

The seed is His word. My responsibility is to sow it faithfully.

My Prayer

Father Yahweh, thank You for the opportunity to share Your word. Help me understand it correctly, live by it sincerely, and teach it with humility and love. Correct me where I am mistaken. Give understanding and endurance to those who read, and help us bear lasting fruit as followers of Yeshua. Amen.

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(PCG) Control: Told Not to Discuss Diet and Nutrition. Letter and Song.

My Experience With Philadelphia Church of God (PCG) Control: 

Told Not to Discuss Diet and Nutrition

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My wife and I both struggled with obesity. Then she died suddenly from a brain aneurysm.

A few weeks after her death, our first grandchild was born. My wife had been so excited about becoming a grandmother. Holding that baby for the first time was bittersweet. I was filled with joy, but deeply saddened that she was not there to share that moment with me.

As I held my grandchild, I knew I needed to make changes. I wanted to improve my health so I could be there for my family.

I began researching diet and nutrition and changing the way I ate. Over the next two years, I lost 160 pounds.

At the time, I attended the Philadelphia Church of God (PCG). The organization provided an online forum where members could communicate with one another. Other members saw my weight loss and wanted to know how I had done it.

So I shared what I had been reading and the changes I had made.

One idea I had become convinced of was that eliminating wheat could help with weight loss. I encouraged interested members to read Wheat Belly by Dr. William Davis. That was my understanding at the time, based on my reading and personal experience.

I also learned that the church leader’s daughter was teaching bread-baking classes at PCG headquarters in Edmond, Oklahoma. I do not know whether those classes had anything to do with what happened next.

Head minister, Steven Flurry, the leader’s son, told me not to discuss health, diet, or nutrition again. He said those subjects were the ministers’ responsibility.

I had been answering questions from people who wanted to know how I had lost weight. Yet I was told that I should no longer discuss the subject.

Rather than continue participating under that restriction, I left the members’ online forum.

To me, this was another example of PCG leadership extending its authority into ordinary personal conversations. Members should be able to share their experiences, ask questions, and evaluate information for themselves.

Members asked me how I lost 160 pounds.
The PCG minister told me not to talk about it. Told me "that is the ministers job"

-------------------------------------------------------------

I made a song for this. If you can't laugh, you cry.

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[Verse 1]
After losing my wife, I held that little one,
Thought, “Grandpa’s got some living left to get done.”
Changed my eating, took it day by day,
A hundred sixty pounds went away!

[Verse 2]
Folks in the members’ chat said, “Dan, tell us how!”
I said, “I’ve been changing what goes in my mouth!”
Shared what I’d read, said, “Here’s what I tried.”
Then Steven Flurry pulled the brakes on my ride!

[Chorus]
“That’s the minister’s job!”
Well, butter my corn on the cob!
I can lose the weight, but I can’t explain?
Does every conversation need a chain?
Health and nutrition—better shut that door!
What do we need permission for?
I thought we were having a friendly chat—
But the minister’s in charge of that!

[Verse 3]
I mentioned Wheat Belly, a book I had read,
While somebody at headquarters was teaching bread.
Were those things connected? I couldn’t say—
But my little food discussion got put away!

[Spoken]
“I lost a hundred sixty pounds…
Apparently, I hadn’t lost my need for supervision!”

[Chorus]
“That’s the minister’s job!”
Well, butter my corn on the cob!
Members asked a question; I gave my reply—
Didn’t know my dinner needed oversight!
Health and nutrition—better shut that door!
What do we need permission for?
I thought we were having a friendly chat—
But the minister’s in charge of that!

[Bridge]
I wasn’t seeking a throne or a title,
Just sharing something folks thought vital.
So I left that forum, closed the screen—
Simplest diet for a chat I’d seen!

[Outro]
Lost the pounds, then left the chat…
Wonder who needs to approve of that?

[Spoken]
“Pass the vegetables.
I’ll take responsibility.”

Click Here For The Song

Understanding Scripture

 

We see it all the time. People build their false beliefs on parts of scripture taken out of context

The problem is they don't study or even read the bible. 

They pick a part of scripture to build their belief on. Ignoring the context

Understanding Scripture

Many people form beliefs about the Bible without carefully reading it. Others select a verse that seems to support what they already believe and overlook the surrounding passage or other scriptures on the same subject.

Understanding Scripture requires more than finding a verse. It requires listening carefully to what Yahweh has revealed, reading each passage in context, and allowing the whole of Scripture to inform our understanding.

We must ask ourselves: Am I seeking what Scripture teaches, or am I seeking support for what I already believe?

Begin with a willingness to learn

Before we need a study method, we need a teachable attitude.

Psalm 119:18

“Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.”

The psalmist recognized that understanding requires help from Yahweh. Education, intelligence, and familiarity with religious teachings do not make a person immune to misunderstanding.

Isaiah 66:2 describes the person Yahweh regards: someone humble, contrite, and responsive to His word.

A useful prayer before studying is:

“Yahweh, help me understand what You have said. Show me where my understanding needs correction, and give me the humility to receive it.”

We must read before we can understand

2 Timothy 3:15–17 explains that the sacred writings provide wisdom and that Scripture is useful for teaching, correction, and instruction in righteousness.

Notice that Scripture corrects us. If we only accept passages that agree with our existing beliefs, we prevent that correction from taking place.

The Bereans provide an example:

Acts 17:11

“…they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.”

They listened willingly, but they also examined what they heard. They did not accept a teaching merely because a persuasive religious teacher delivered it.

A teacher can help us examine Scripture, but cannot replace our responsibility to examine it.

“Here a little, and there a little”

Isaiah 28:10

“For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little.”

These words are a straightforward instruction for assembling biblical teachings from different passages. Comparing scriptures is valuable.

Deuteronomy 30:11–14 describes the commandment as accessible—something the people could hear, understand, and practice.

2 Corinthians 1:13 shows Paul explaining that he was writing things his readers could read and understand.

The Bible contains difficult passages, but it is also communication meant to be understood. We should seek its meaning before searching for a hidden meaning.

Let Scripture illuminate Scripture

Yeshua demonstrated the importance of bringing related passages together.

Luke 24:27

“And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.”

He showed how passages across the Scriptures related to Him. He did not base the explanation on one isolated sentence.

Likewise, in Matthew 4:5–7, the adversary quoted Psalm 91 while tempting Yeshua to throw Himself from the temple. Yeshua answered with another passage: Deuteronomy 6:16, forbidding putting Yahweh to the test.

A passage can be quoted accurately and still be applied wrongly.

Yeshua’s answer shows why a proposed interpretation must be tested against other relevant scriptures. A promise of protection does not authorize reckless behavior or testing Yahweh.

Comparing passages should clarify their meaning—not erase the context in which each was written.

Context protects us from mistaken conclusions

Consider Psalm 14:1. It contains the words:

“There is no God.”

Taken alone, those words would reverse the meaning of the passage. The complete statement identifies them as what the fool says in his heart.

The surrounding words determine whose view is being expressed.

Another example is Matthew 7:1:

“Judge not, that ye be not judged.”

Read alone, someone might conclude that we must never evaluate conduct or teaching. Yet the following verses address hypocrisy and describe removing the beam from our own eye before helping a brother. Later in the same chapter, Yeshua warns about false prophets and tells His listeners to recognize them by their fruit.

The passage requires humility and honest self-examination while still requiring discernment.

When reading, ask:

• Who is speaking, and to whom?
• What question or problem is being addressed?
• What comes before and after this statement?
• Is this a command, a description, poetry, a parable, or a symbol?
• What other passages directly address the same subject?

Do not build a doctrine on a difficult passage alone

Peter acknowledged that some of Paul’s writings are difficult to understand and that people distort them.

2 Peter 3:16 warns that such distortion can lead to destruction.

The answer is patient study. Begin with passages that speak directly and clearly about the subject. Then examine how difficult passages fit, paying attention to language, audience, and purpose.

If an interpretation depends on ignoring several relevant passages, that interpretation needs further examination.

Sometimes the honest conclusion is:

“I do not yet understand how these passages fit together.”

That is better than forcing certainty where our understanding remains incomplete.

Examine traditions—including our own

Mark 7:8–13 records Yeshua rebuking people for allowing human tradition to undermine Yahweh’s commandment.

A belief does not become scriptural because it is old, popular, or taught by a respected leader. It also does not become correct simply because it challenges a popular teaching.

1 Thessalonians 5:21

“Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.”

We must examine inherited beliefs and our own conclusions by the same standard.

Being willing to question others is only part of honest study. We must also be willing to question ourselves.

Understanding should lead to obedience

James 1:22

“But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”

Bible study is not merely collecting information or winning arguments. Its purpose includes correcting our conduct, strengthening faith, and teaching us to love Yahweh and our neighbors.

Knowledge should produce humility, patience, honesty, and obedience. If our study only makes us proud or contemptuous of others, we need to examine how we are applying it.

A practical way to study a subject

1. Pray for understanding and a teachable heart.
2. Read the whole passage, including the surrounding paragraphs or chapter.
3. Identify the speaker, audience, and subject.
4. Gather passages that directly address the same question.
5. Distinguish what the text states from what you infer.
6. Test your conclusion against the relevant evidence, including passages that challenge it.
7. Apply what you understand, and continue studying what remains uncertain.

Proverbs 18:13 warns against answering a matter before hearing it. That principle applies to Bible study as well: hear the evidence before settling the conclusion.

The question we must keep asking

We can quote many verses and still misunderstand them. We can defend a religious tradition without ever carefully examining it. We can even use the language of “truth” while resisting correction.

The goal is to understand Scripture faithfully: read it, consider its context, compare related passages, and receive its correction.

Let our attitude be:

“Yahweh, I want to understand Your Word. Help me read carefully, recognize my assumptions, and obey what You teach.”

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Look it up for yourself.

You will find Bible studies one each of these topics 

here on Called & Chosen.

From Kentucky to Kingdom Come (song)

 

Called & Chosen blog posts are reaching from Kentucky to tens of thousands (and growing) of people every day. 
Nations all around the world, even Muslim nations. 

Also Delivering a warning to the world about 
the Philadelphia Church of God (PCG)

From Kentucky to Kingdom Come (song)

Click Here For The Song

[Verse 1]
Down in central Kentucky,
With a Bible and a chair,
Dan put another study up
And sent it through the air.
No tower and no private jet,
No staff to bring him tea—
Just a fellow asking questions
And a keyboard missing “E”!

[Chorus]
Five thousand! Ten thousand!
That counter’s running wild!
I checked it after supper
And just sat there and smiled.
From Kentucky round the world,
Let the Scriptures have their say—
I’d better write another one;
More views came in today!

[Verse 2]
Across the seas to distant lands,
Where mosque bells never ring—
It’s the call to prayer folks hear there,
And my blog’s a different thing.
To readers in Muslim nations,
You’re welcome at my door—
Bring your questions, bring your Bible,
That’s what this table’s for!

[Verse 3]
Now Philadelphia Church of God,
I’ve got some things to say:
“Where’s that written in the Scriptures?”
Doesn’t seem to go away.
If a leader wants your loyalty,
Then let his teaching stand
Beside the words of Yahweh—
Don’t just take the word of man!

[Chorus]
Five thousand! Ten thousand!
That counter’s running wild!
I checked it after supper
And just sat there and smiled.
From Kentucky round the world,
Let the Scriptures have their say—
I’d better write another one;
More views came in today!

[Bridge]
Now, I know some clicks are robots.
If you’re a robot, welcome too!
But you don’t need permission
To read a verse or two!

[Final Chorus]
Five thousand! Ten thousand!
From this old Kentucky chair!
No passport in my pocket,
But my words are everywhere.
Point to Yahweh, follow Yeshua,
Test whatever leaders say—
Put the coffee on, Kentucky,
There’s another post today!

From Kentucky to Kingdom Come (song)

Click Here For The Song