Program 150: An Evil Eye

Learn the true definition of this Hebrew idiom. It’s not what you think!

Welcome to WLC Radio, a subsidiary of World’s Last Chance Ministries, an online ministry dedicated to learning how to live in constant readiness for the Savior's return.

For two thousand years, believers of every generation have longed to be the last generation. Contrary to popular belief, though, Christ did not give believers “signs of the times” to watch for. Instead, he repeatedly warned that his coming would take even the faithful by surprise. Yahushua urgently warned believers to be ready because, he said, “The Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” [Matthew 24:44]

WLC Radio: Teaching minds and preparing hearts for Christ's sudden return.

* * *Part 1: (Miles & Dave)

Miles Robey: Hello, hello! Welcome to World’s Last Chance Radio. I’m your host, Miles Robey, and joining me is Dave Wright!

Dave, what have you prepared for us today?

Dave Wright: Well, you know what an idiom is?

Miles: Sure! It’s a phrase that has a metaphorical meaning. The literal meaning can be quite different, but everyone understands the metaphorical meaning.

Dave: Well, I wouldn’t say everyone understands the meaning of an idiom. Using idioms can make you sound like a native-speaker, but they’re a real challenge if you’re not a native speaker.

Miles: That’s true. Hearing another language’s idioms is always strange. For example, in Chinese, there’s an idiom that means, literally, “to spout smoke through seven orifices.”

Dave laughs: What does that mean?

Miles: It’s a phrase that means to be furious.

Dave: I like that. Very descriptive. Almost as descriptive as the German idiom, Leben wie die Made im Speck. I’m probably not pronouncing that correctly, but it means, literally, to live like a maggot in bacon.

Miles laughs: Euuw! Gross! What’s that mean?

Dave: It means, basically, to live luxuriously. We’d say something like “like a bee in clover,” or something like that.

Miles: Don’t you ever wonder how some idioms came into existence? The Swedish language has an idiom that literally means, “There’s no cow on the ice.”

Dave: What does it mean?

Miles: Just means “Don’t worry.”

Dave: I can see how, in Sweden, having a bovine on a frozen lake could be a problem.

Miles: Right? Makes me wonder if there’s a story behind that phrase. Or, how about this one from Spanish? “Dar calabazas a alguien.”

Dave: Say that again?

Miles: No! I’m sure I slaughtered it the first time. I’m not trying again. Literally, it means “to give pumpkins to someone.”

Dave: What could that mean?

Miles: We’d say “to give someone the brush-off.” It means to reject someone.

Dave: All right. But you can see how idioms can create problems when you’re trying to communicate across language barriers, can’t you?

Miles: Oh, yeah. Yeah, of course. One of the funniest I find is the very British slang term, to “bum a fag.” To us in England, it simply means to ask someone for a cigarette. However … Americans are always shocked. The phrase is more than a little risqué to Americans.

And that’s within the same language!

Dave: So you can see how there would be even more problems trying to communicate an idiom across language barriers. Do you translate it as written—literally? Or do you translate the meaning?

Unfortunately, Scripture itself is not free of idioms. There’s one that has caused some confusion which I’d like to talk about today.

Miles: What’s that?

Dave: The idiom that the eye can be good or evil. This is an idiom. There are a handful of Bible versions that translate the meaning, but most translations translate the idiom and the meaning is lost, which is too bad.

Miles: It was for my little sister!

Dave: How do you mean?

Miles: Well, when she was about, I don’t know, 5 or 6, and I was about 10—old enough to know better but young enough not to care—I convinced her that she had evil eyes.

Dave: How did you do that?

Miles: Well, I, uh, I kind of quoted Scripture out of context. You know how well that works! You can make Scripture say anything you want if it’s taken out of context.

Dave: True! What did you say?

Miles: Well, first I told her that Jesus said “If thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness.” [Matthew 6:23] I let that sink in a bit then I told her she didn’t need to worry because Jesus had the cure: Matthew 18:9. “And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.”

Dave laughs: Oh, you didn’t! That’s terrible! How did she react?

Miles: About what you’d expect. I didn’t keep it going for too long, though, because Mum came in to find out why my sister was so upset. She made me apologize to her and admit it had just been a rather tasteless joke.

Dave: Big brothers. What can I say?

Miles: Right? So, since you say that it was an idiom in Hebrew, I’m assuming wherever the phrase appears in Scripture, we’re not to take it literally. But what does it mean?

Dave: Well, why don’t you grab that Bible on the shelf behind you and let’s look at a number of times this idiom is used. Turn to Proverbs 28 and read verse 22. What does that say?

Miles: Let’s see, it says: “He that hasteth to be rich hath an evil eye, and considereth not that poverty shall come upon him.”

Dave: Which version is that?

Miles: King James.

Dave: All right. That’s a good place to start. The translators of the King James version translated the idiom, but not the meaning. I brought in several different translations today. Here. Try this one. It’s the Modern English version. What does that say?

Miles: Uh, it says . . . “He who hastens to be rich has an evil eye, and does not consider that poverty will come upon him.”

Dave: Okay, so another use of idiom. That surprises me. Try this one: The New International version.

Miles: All right, uh . . . it says: “The stingy are eager to get rich and are unaware that poverty awaits them.”

Dave: There it is! The stingy. Saying someone has an evil eye was a Hebrew idiom for being stingy.

Let’s look at some more. Turn to Proverbs chapter 22 and read verse 9.

Miles: Which version?

Dave: Do the King James version again.

Miles: All right, uh . . . “He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor.”

Dave: That’s the idiom. He that has a “bountiful eye” shall be blessed. Now, what does the New International Version say?

Miles: Let me turn there … okay, it says: “The generous will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with the poor.”

Dave: So we’ve seen both uses of the idiom. Someone who has an evil eye is stingy, even miserly.

Miles: Pecunious.

Dave: Right. Someone, on the other hand, that has a “good” or a “bountiful” eye is someone who is generous.

This next text, read in the Modern English version. It’s Proverbs 23, verses 5 to 8. What does that say.

Miles: Let’s see, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job, Psalms, Proverbs! Chapter 23 verses what?

Dave: Five to eight.

Miles:

Will you set your eyes on that which is not?
For riches certainly make themselves wings;
they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.

Do not eat the bread of him who has an evil eye,
neither desire his delicacies;
for as he thinks in his heart,
so is he.
“Eat and drink!” he says to you,
but his heart is not with you.
The morsel you have eaten, you will vomit up,
and lose your sweet words.

Dave: And in the New International version?

Miles: Um …

Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone,
for they will surely sprout wings
and fly off to the sky like an eagle.

Do not eat the food of a begrudging host,
do not crave his delicacies;
for he is the kind of person
who is always thinking about the cost.
“Eat and drink,” he says to you,
but his heart is not with you.
You will vomit up the little you have eaten
and will have wasted your compliments.

Dave: So, the idiom says, do not eat the food of a man with an evil eye. The actual meaning is, don’t receive anything from someone who begrudges giving it to you.

The point Scripture is trying to make is that Yah’s people are to be generous. We’re not to be so caught up in getting ahead, that we are miserly with Heaven’s gifts. Turn to Matthew 5. This is Christ’s sermon on the mount and in here he reveals what Yahuwah is like, telling his listeners that just as Yahuwah is generous, so are His followers to be.

Matthew chapter 5, verses 43 through 48. Go ahead and read that as soon as you’ve found it.

Miles:

You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

Dave: This is a beautiful revelation of the inner heart of Yah. He wishes well on His friends and enemies alike. He doesn’t hold grudges. He wants everyone to be prosperous and happy. And, if we want to be like Him, we will be, too.

Yahuwah planned generosity into the Hebrew economy. Every seven years, there was a sabbatical when the land was to rest. Then, every seventh cycle of seven years was the year of jubilee when land that had been leased out would return to its original owners and indentured slaves would be set free.

Miles: Let’s take a moment to read that. I think it would have more meaning if someone hasn’t read it before.

Dave: All right, uh . . . Leviticus 25, I think.

Miles: Um … yeah. Verses 1 to 17. It says:

And Yahuwah spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When you come into the land which I give you, then the land shall keep a sabbath to Yahuwah. Six years you shall sow your field, and six years you shall prune your vineyard, and gather its fruit; but in the seventh year there shall be a sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a sabbath to Yahuwah.

‘You shall neither sow your field nor prune your vineyard. What grows of its own accord of your harvest you shall not reap, nor gather the grapes of your untended vine, for it is a year of rest for the land. And the sabbath produce of the land shall be food for you: for you, your male and female servants, your hired man, and the stranger who dwells with you—’”

Dave: Notice that even the stranger among them was to be dealt with generously. In many first world countries, there is often resentment against immigrants from third world countries, but that is an unscriptural attitude. We are to be as kind and generous to the “stranger amongst us” as we are to our own.

Miles: I think churches do this, too, sometimes. When I was a young kid, there was some natural disaster. I forget what it was but I do remember hearing on the news how this one particular denomination would send people around and the first thing they asked was if the family affected by the natural disaster was a member of their church or not. If the people were members of their church, they’d help them. If not, they’d go on. Even as a kid, I was shocked by that. When I asked my mum about it, she said that particular denomination was known for helping only their own.

Dave: Yeah. Not what Scripture teaches we are to do!

Miles: Okay, uh … “And the sabbath produce of the land shall be food for you: for you, your male and female servants, your hired man, and the stranger who dwells with you.”

“‘For your livestock and the beasts that are in your land—all its produce shall be for food.

‘And you shall count seven sabbaths of years for yourself, seven times seven years; and the time of the seven sabbaths of years shall be to you forty-nine years. Then you shall cause the trumpet of the Jubilee to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the Day of Atonement you shall make the trumpet to sound throughout all your land. And you shall consecrate the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a Jubilee for you; and each of you shall return to his possession, and each of you shall return to his family. That fiftieth year shall be a Jubilee to you; in it you shall neither sow nor reap what grows of its own accord, nor gather the grapes of your untended vine. For it is the Jubilee; it shall be holy to you; you shall eat its produce from the field.

‘In this Year of Jubilee, each of you shall return to his possession. And if you sell anything to your neighbor or buy from your neighbor’s hand, you shall not oppress one another. According to the number of years after the Jubilee you shall buy from your neighbor, and according to the number of years of crops he shall sell to you. According to the multitude of years you shall increase its price, and according to the fewer number of years you shall diminish its price; for he sells to you according to the number of the years of the crops. Therefore you shall not oppress one another, but you shall fear your God; for I am Yahuwah your God.’”

Dave: So this is how Yah’s people are to act. Like Him. Generous in all things. Turn now to Matthew 6. Now that we’ve got an understanding of this idiom, let’s read the passage you used to torment your little sis. I think it will have a whole lot more meaning now that we understand what was meant by the phrase.

Matthew 6, verses … uh, let’s start with verses 22 and 23.

Miles: “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!”

Dave: Christ is saying here that if we are generous, we will be blessed. However, if we are stingy, miserly, if we’re pecunious—clinging to what we have without a thought to others in need—then our eye is bad. A stingy, greedy, miserly attitude will impact our entire body. In other words, it will negatively impact our spiritual life.

* * *Part 2: (Miles & Dave)

Miles: I’m curious what you mean by having an evil eye, a stingy, miserly attitude, will impact our spiritual life.

Dave: It has to do with faith and trust. We recently did a program titled “Radical Faith and the Gift of Giving.” In it, we talked about how the Hebrews and even the earliest Christians viewed generous giving as an act of worship.

Miles: Right. I remember that. It was a really interesting perspective. If any of our listeners missed that one, you can still listen to it on WorldsLastChance.com, or our channel on YouTube. Again, that’s “Radical Faith and the Gift of Giving.”

Dave: If you truly believe that Yahuwah will reward you for your generosity, you won’t worry about whether or not you should give because you know that Yahuwah will provide for you.

Miles: Yeah. Proverbs 19:17: “Whoever is kind to the poor lends to Yahuwah, and he will reward them for what they have done.”

Dave: Exactly. You can’t out-give Yah. We are to reveal Yah’s generosity to us in how we treat others. This is having a “good eye.” And it will impact our “body”—our spiritual life—because it will increase our faith in Yah to provide for us. We don’t have to cling to things, having an evil eye. Instead, our faith will grow and so will our spirituality as we experience Yahuwah providing for our needs.

Miles: In our last segment, you said something about Yahuwah planning generosity into the Hebrew economy. What did you mean by that?

Dave: Okay. Let’s look at that. Turn back to Deuteronomy. Deuteronomy chapter 15 and read verses 7 through 11. You’ll notice a caution in this passage not to have an evil eye; not to be greedy or stingy. Go ahead.

Miles: All right. It says …

“If there is among you a poor man of your brethren, within any of the gates in your land which Yahuwah your Elohim is giving you, you shall not harden your heart nor shut your hand from your poor brother, but you shall open your hand wide to him and willingly lend him sufficient for his need, whatever he needs. Beware lest there be a wicked thought in your heart, saying, ‘The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand,’ and your eye be evil against your poor brother and you give him nothing, and he cry out to Yahuwah against you, and it become sin among you. You shall surely give to him, and your heart should not be grieved when you give to him, because for this thing Yahuwah your God will bless you in all your works and in all to which you put your hand. For the poor will never cease from the land; therefore I command you, saying, ‘You shall open your hand wide to your brother, to your poor and your needy, in your land.’

Dave: Giving to those less fortunate are what we are called to do as believers. We trust that Yahuwah will provide for our needs and we do not turn our back on someone in need. We—you and I—are Yah’s designated means to help those in need of help in our circle of influence.

This has been true from the very beginning. Abraham was a wealthy man but, unlike the so-called “robber barons” of the 19^th century, he didn’t gain his wealth by cheating others. He knew he was a representative of the Most High God, and he acted like it.

Grab that … yeah, that brown book there.

Miles: The Book of Jasher?

Dave: Yes. Jasher is referred to several times in Scripture and for good reason: it doesn’t contradict Scripture, but it does give a more detailed account than contained in the books of Moses. Let’s read what it says about Abraham. Turn to Jasher, chapter 22, and read verses, uh … let me see it a minute. Um, read verses 11 to 13.

Miles: All right. It says:

And Abraham planted a large grove in Beersheba, and he made to it four gates facing the four sides of the earth, and he planted a vineyard in it, so that if a traveler came to Abraham he entered any gate which was in his road, and remained there and ate and drank and satisfied himself and then departed.

For the house of Abraham was always open to the sons of men that passed and repassed, who came daily to eat and drink in the house of Abraham.

And any man who had hunger and came to Abraham's house, Abraham would give him bread that he might eat and drink and be satisfied, and any one that came naked to his house he would clothe with garments as he might choose, and give him silver and gold and make known to him the Lord who had created him in the earth; this did Abraham all his life.

Dave: This is how Abraham lived out his faith. He was generous and kind. He gave freely to those in need. Isaiah 41 and James 2 both refer to Abraham as a “friend of Yah.”

Miles: That’s beautiful! To be known as a personal friend of Yah? You couldn’t ask for more than that.

Dave: Abraham sought to reflect Yahuwah in all his dealings with his fellow man, and one way he did that was by having a “good eye.” He was generous. He had been blessed with material wealth and he used that material wealth to bless others. He wasn’t stingy; he didn’t have an evil eye. Instead, he passed on the blessings he’d received.

Miles: So it’s not a sin to be wealthy.

Dave: No, of course not! Why would you even ask that?

Miles: Well, I’m thinking of Matthew 6:24 that says, quote: “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve [Yah] and mammon.” Unquote. “Mammon,” of course, is the Aramaic word for riches, wealth.

Dave: All right. So let me ask you this: when Abraham had his workman plant a vineyard at his expense, when he opened his home to travelers and gave them food, clothing, and money, was he serving riches? Was his eye evil?

Miles: No. No! To use the Biblical idiom, I’d say his eye was good: he was very generous.

Dave: The same with Job. And others. What about Dorcas in the New Testament? She bought (or made) cloth and then made clothes which she gave away to the poor. Lydia, a wealthy seller of purple, opened her home to Paul, Silas, and Luke, feeding them and housing them during their stay in her city. These are all people who used their wealth to bless others.

Let’s look at another example. Grab one of the Bibles there and turn to Luke 14. Here, Yahushua was invited to a meal in the home of one of the rulers of the Pharisees.

Miles: You know he would have been very wealthy!

Dave: Exactly! He was a ruler of the ruling class. So, Yahushua’s sitting there, and as he’s sitting there, some other guest pompously declares, “Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God!”

Miles: I can just see it! He’s likely another Pharisee, probably wealthy as well, and he thinks he’s going to educate this itinerate preacher.

Dave: Two thousand years ago and people are still people. They equate worth with wealth. Well, Yahushua saw an opening to teach what was truly important and what attitude would prepare someone to “eat bread in the kingdom of Yah.” So he tells a parable to this guy. Go ahead and read it. Verses 16 through 24.

Miles:

Then he said to him, “A certain man gave a great supper and invited many, and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, ‘Come, for all things are now ready.’ But they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.’ Still another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ So that servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind.’ And the servant said, ‘Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room.’ Then the master said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.’”

Dave: This is how a true believer will use his wealth. To bless. To help others in need with no expectation of return. The man’s friends were likely wealthy, too. They could easily have reciprocated his invitation. But the poor, the maimed, the lame and the blind couldn’t!

Even if a day laborer—someone found in the highways or the hedges that had been compelled to come in—even if such a person invited the wealthy man to his house, the quality of food and entertainment wouldn’t be on a par with what the wealthy man could provide, but the wealthy man wasn’t worried about that. He’d prepared a feast and he wanted to others to enjoy it with him. He wasn’t worried about pay backs.

Miles: That’s the true test of generosity, isn’t it? Giving with no expectation of return. And there are needy people all around us!

Dave: And the need isn’t always financial. Maybe an elderly man needs help with transportation to his doctor’s appointments. Maybe a single mother is struggling to pay winter heating bills—

Miles: Or her kids could benefit from having a man take an interest in them and be a positive, godly role-model in their lives.

Dave: There are multitudes of ways to help those around us if it is in the heart to give. A truly wise person will realize that monetary wealth is fleeting. True wealth is that which we store up in Heaven.

Miles: Circling back to your comment about Yahuwah planning generosity into the Hebrew economy. Are there any other examples of that which we could learn from today?

Dave: Absolutely. And the most common place to find references to this is in the book of Deuteronomy. This laid the foundation for the entire Israelite culture.

We already read in Deuteronomy 15 where Yahuwah told the Israelites not to let their “eye be evil” against their brother in need, but to be generous. Let’s read now, the verses just before that. Deuteronomy 15, verses 1 to 6.

Miles: All right, let’s see. It says:

At the end of every seven years you shall grant a release of debts. And this is the form of the release: Every creditor who has lent anything to his neighbor shall release it; he shall not require it of his neighbor or his brother, because it is called Yahuwah release. Of a foreigner you may require it; but you shall give up your claim to what is owed by your brother, except when there may be no poor among you; for Yahuwah will greatly bless you in the land which Yahuwah your God is giving you to possess as an inheritance—only if you carefully obey the voice of Yahuwah your God, to observe with care all these commandments which I command you today. For Yahuwah your God will bless you just as He promised you; you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow; you shall reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over you.

Dave: This is the crux: faithfully serve Yahuwah and He, in turn, will bless you. You don’t need to be greedy. You don’t need to have an “evil eye” because Yahuwah will provide for you, as you provide for those in need within your sphere of influence.

One of the ways this was done was through hospitality. Turn to the next chapter. Deuteronomy 16. Here, it’s talking about the various feasts of Yahuwah. These, as we know from Scripture, will continue to be celebrated in the New Earth.

Miles: Well, and even now it’s a privilege to celebrate them. These are important anniversaries in salvation history. They’re not part of the ordinances that governed blood sacrifice, so they weren’t fulfilled at the cross.

Dave: Right. So, it starts out, verse 1, explaining how to keep the feast of Passover.

Now, drop down to verses 10 to 12.

Miles:

Then you shall keep the Feast of Weeks to Yahuwah your Elohim with the tribute of a freewill offering from your hand, which you shall give as Yahuwah your Elohim blesses you. You shall rejoice before Yahuwah your Elohim, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, the Levite who is within your gates, the stranger and the fatherless and the widow who are among you, at the place where Yahuwah your Elohim chooses to make His name abide.

Dave: They weren’t to celebrate with just their “kith and kin.” They were to include the Levite that was within their gates and even the stranger, the fatherless and the widow who may not have any immediate connection, but might not have the money to celebrate and would enjoy an invitation.

Verse 12?

Miles: “And you shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt, and you shall be careful to observe these statutes.”

Dave: This is why they were to be generous. They had been slaves in Egypt, brought forth by Yah’s generous, loving concern for them. The same holds true for us. We’ve been enslaved to sin. We have nothing with which to recommend ourselves to Yah. But, despite that, He graciously extended the invitation to salvation to us. He invites us to become members of His family and live forever with Him.

Miles: He even invites us to live in His house? You know that promise in John 14? “In my Father’s house are many mansions”? [John 14:2] It’s actually, “In my Father’s house are many rooms” or “dwelling places.” We’re invited to live with Him! Talk about hospitality! You can’t get more generous than that!

Dave: You really can’t. And, just as we have received—life, support, healing, care, and so much more—we are called to give those same blessings to others.

While we can’t give life, literally, we can certainly provide for those in need. That is having a “good” eye, a generous spirit. It’s that which reflects Yah’s image, because that’s what He’s done for us.

Miles: “Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.” [Matthew 10:8]

Dave agrees: The words of Christ in sending out the disciples. Yes. Just as we’ve been the recipient of generous blessings, we are to have a “good eye,” a generous spirit in giving to others. And Yahuwah accepts as done to Himself what is done to others. He will repay what is given.

Miles: You can’t out-give Yah!

Dave: You really can’t.

* * *

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Wise parents know that the key to raising kids who are grateful rather than entitled is to teach children to express appreciation as well as provide them with opportunities to give. It may seem awkward to give your child money so she can buy you a birthday present, but the life lessons gained when your child learns the joy of giving are invaluable.

The same holds true when we give to our heavenly Father. Let’s face it: Yahuwah doesn’t actually need anything we can give Him. However, as a wise and loving Father, Yah understands that we need to give. When we learn to give as it is our privilege to do, rich rewards await.

The ancient Israelites and even the early Christians, viewed giving to the needy as an act of worship! But there’s more! Giving to others actually reveals the level of faith we have in Yah to provide for us. To learn more, look for the article “The Rich Rewards of Radical Faith” on our website. You can also look for the WLC Radio program titled, “Radical Faith and the Gift of Giving.” [Program #146] That’s “Radical Faith and the Gift of Giving” on WorldsLastChance.com. Past radio programs can also be heard on YouTube!

* * *Daily Mailbag (Miles & Dave)

Miles: Today’s question from our daily mailbag is coming from Florida in the United States. Hey, I just learned something interesting about Florida. It has a park called the Everglades National Park.

Dave: I’ve heard of it. Isn’t it like one big swamp?

Miles: Eh … it’s … tropical wetlands. It’s also a World Heritage Site because so many rare and endangered species live there but what I found so fascinating is that it is the only ecosystem in the world where both alligators and crocodiles co-exist!

Dave: Huh! Never knew such a thing was possible. That’s really strange, isn’t it? Wonder if they ever get into fights?

Miles: And which one wins, if they do!

Dave: I don’t know. Very strange.

So, what’s our question?

Miles: Well, Jennifer Hartman writes, “My sister’s kids came to live with us last summer after the tragic loss of their parents. It was a horrible experience and we’re all struggling to find a new normal. My nephews are 12 and 14. They’re good kids but my husband and I don’t have any experience with this age range as our own children are still very young. My question is, what are some challenges facing young people today that we should keep in mind while jumping into parenting teenagers?”

Dave: What a great question! Times are different. The world that teens are facing today is different than we faced as young people. There are some unique challenges godly parents should keep in mind in today’s world, especially those raising teenagers.

One of the most obvious is that, unless you’re living in an extremely rare environment, most youth today are living in an anti-Christian environment. And I’m not just talking about listeners who live in countries that are predominantly Hindu, or Buddhist, or Muslim. I’m talking about an environment that is opposed to Biblical standards of Christianity.

Miles: Oh, that’s everywhere! A secular mindset, not valuing what Scripture values. Yeah, that’s something we all have to deal with on a daily basis.

Dave: Parents of youth need to be aware of just how much influence the media has on young people.

Miles: One of the saddest stories I ever read was about a 15-year-old girl driven to suicide by the bullying she received on social media.

Dave: Social media can be very unhealthy for adults, let alone kids! I’m not saying that kids should never be allowed on social media, but that is one area parents today should keep a close eye on. And not just the so-called “social” media, but media in general. What values is it passing on to our youth?

Miles: Movies in general teach violence and sexual promiscuity.

Dave: Right! The media can also exacerbate any problem a kid might have with his or her self-image.

Miles scoffs: Isn’t that the truth?! You don’t get a healthy self-image from the media. Everyone focuses on this point a lot as it relates to young girls, but the truth is that it can negatively impact young boys as well, if they don’t have the “ripped” muscles of the latest Hollywood box office star. That sort of thing.

Dave: This all contributes to another thing parents of teens should watch out for, and that is materialism.

Miles: Well, everyone needs to watch out for that, really. But, yeah. Peer pressure can be especially intense during the teen years when you’re still trying to figure out who you want to be in life. The latest styles, the latest movie release . . . what other kids are focused on in order to fit in. It can all take your focus away from what’s really important in life.

Dave: Which, in turn, can make it difficult for young people to personalize and live out their faith. Surrounding our young people with a loving, supportive faith-community can really help here. When they see other people they respect, people who are kind, compassionate, fun-to-be-around—the Christian walk shouldn’t be some onerous slog through life—then they will be shown through example what the Christian life is really like. They will build attachments and bonds to other Christians, so that worldly attachments will have less influence.

Miles: I notice you said less “influence.”

Dave: Yes. A lot of parents try to protect their kids by trying to remove them from the world. I believe that is a mistake. We’re not called to shun unbelievers. Rather, we’re to be like Christ. And what was Christ like? He wasn’t like how he is too-often portrayed in movies.

Miles: Helmet hair and too holy to be human?

Dave: Exactly. Rather, the Saviour was kind, accepting and friendly to everyone. He was friendly to all. I think he was actually quite charismatic in the best sense of the word.

Miles: He appealed to people because of his personal charm?

Dave: Well, obviously not everyone. Not those who hated his teachings. But he was friendly to everyone. Unlike many Christians today, he didn’t hold himself aloof from those who didn’t believe the way he did. He was kind and accepting to all. Nonjudgmental.

Miles: That’s how you draw people to Yah!

Dave: Too often, though, parents will … wrap their kids in cotton wool—metaphorically speaking. As though if they can just remove worldly influences from their kids, the youth will stay faithful to Yah. This becomes a problem, though, when the young people grow up and gain some independence. They discover that not every unbeliever is the devil in disguise. Unbelievers can be kind, friendly, interesting people, too.

Miles: They can become dazzled by what the world has to offer, is what you’re saying.

Dave: I’ve seen it happen. Look: we’re in the world. We’re not to be of the world, but we are in the world. The best thing you can do for your kids is to, #1, live a life that is consistent with what you teach them. Don’t be a hypocrite, saying “Do as I say, not as I do.”

Secondly, fill their lives as much as you can with other believers they can respect and look up to, to see that it’s not just Mum and Dad saying these things. There are others, too, who love Yah and live devoted Christian lives; people they like and can admire. This becomes more important when kids reach the teen years.

Miles: I think another thing that parents of teens need to guard against is making sure that the kids’ lives aren’t so full that there’s no time for a devotional life. So many youth get involved with jobs, lessons, sports—and there’s nothing wrong with that—but in addition to school, they’re rushing here, and they’re rushing there. They’re exhausted and distracted and there’s no time to just BE and know that He is Yah. You know what I mean?

Dave: I do. I do. And that’s a lesson to take into adulthood: always make sure to slow down enough to have meaningful time with Yah.

One last thing: discipline. This doesn’t mean spanking. In fact, there are plenty of countries where corporal punishment is illegal.

Miles: That’s going to be especially challenging for Jennifer as these aren’t even her own sons, but her grieving nephews.

Dave: But see, “discipline” doesn’t necessarily mean “punishment.” Self-discipline—sticking at a task until you finish it, exercising self-control when you’re angry rather than blowing up and yelling or hitting—all of these are very important life-lessons that you need for adulthood.

Miles: That’s true, but let’s talk about punishment for a moment. Obviously, kids aren’t perfect. So if they do something wrong, how do you punish a teenager?

Dave: First, I would never punish for an accident or an honest mistake.

Miles: Ever?

Dave: Ever. Think about it: you’re God to your kids. The way you show compassion and understanding, or the way you “let it rip” and “tear them a new one” when they make a mistake teaches them what to expect of their heavenly Father when they make a mistake.

Miles: That’s very true.

Wish my own father had known that.

Dave: Deliberately doing what you’ve been told not to do, on the other hand, is something else entirely. Teens can certainly learn consequences. Cause and effect. But always with patience, love, and respect for them as younger members of the Heavenly family, because that’s what they are.

Miles: Okay. We’ve got time for one more question, but you’re going to have to keep your answer rather short-ish.

Dave: Got it. What’s the question?

Miles: Jett from Saint Paul, Minnesota wants to know what’s a principle every Christian should always remember.

Dave: Well … off the cuff, I’d say Proverbs 23:7 sums it up well. As a man thinks in his heart, so is he. This is a powerful psychological fact. By beholding, we become changed. So we all need to ask ourselves: What am I beholding?

What am I focusing on? What thoughts hold my interest and take up my time? If they’re thoughts of worldly things, we will quickly lose our appetite for spiritual things.

Miles: Isn’t that the truth! The more I submerge myself in Scripture, the more I want to. The less time I spend in Yah’s word, the less I enjoy it.

Dave: That’s how it is with all of us. So, being mindful of what occupies our thoughts: the latest celebrity gossip, the plotline of the latest movie … or, gratitude to Yah for His many blessings, meditating on passages of Scripture. These not only reveal where our heart is, but they also form our character, to be saved, or to be lost.

Miles: Hmm. That’s true. All right! That’s all we’ve time for today. But please keep sending in your questions and comments. Just go to WorldsLastChance.com and click on Contact Us. We always enjoy hearing from our listeners.

* * *Daily Promise:

Hello! This is Elise O’Brien with today’s daily promise from Yah’s word.

Can you imagine what it would be like to live where everyone else could communicate with each other … but not with you? How would it make you feel? Lonely? Detached from everyone else? Disconnected from the world around you? Well, that was the experience of one hearing-impaired man by the name of Muharrem who lived in a suburban area of Istanbul in Turkey.

Unbeknownst to Muharrem, tech giant, Samsung, was wanting to launch their new video call center for the hearing impaired. Muharrem’s sister, Ozlem, and dozens of individuals in their local community worked hard together for weeks so that wherever Muharrem went, people could communicate with him in sign language.

It was a setup, of course, but a setup of the very best kind. From the man who offered Muharrem an apple as a thank you for helping him pick up the fruit he’d dropped, to the woman who “accidentally” bumped into him, to the taxi driver and more, everywhere Muharrem went, people greeted him and communicated with him in sign language. At the town square when Muharrem learned of all the hard work and planning that had gone into the experience, he was overcome with emotion. For the first time in his life, he felt a part of his community, rather than an outside observer.

Psalm 32:11 says, “The plans of Yahuwah stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.” And what are those plans? Jeremiah 29 tells us! Verses 11 to 13 state: “For I know the plans I have for you, declares Yahuwah, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

The plans of the Father’s heart are for our good! He wants us to be happy! He wants us to experience joy and find satisfaction even in this life. Isaiah 55 says, quote:

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” says Yahuwah.
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts.” [Isaiah 55:8-11]

Yah’s greatest desire for you is your happiness. Every plan He makes is to this one end. Numbers 23:19 assures us, quote: “Eloah is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?”

You can trust that Yahuwah loves you and that He always keep His promises.

We have been given great and precious promises. Go and start claiming!

* * *Part 3: (Miles & Dave)

Miles: You know, just now as Elise was sharing today’s daily promise, I was thinking of what you shared earlier about if our eye is “good” or generous, our whole body will be full of light. In other words, when we are generous, it has a positive impact on our spiritual life. That’s a really important experience to have in order to get through the days ahead.

Dave: It really is, Miles. Like you said, it’s important for the days ahead but it’s just as important now. Everywhere you go, everywhere you look, the intensity is increasing. We’re, even now, being faced with decisions that require divine guidance. We need light, divine light, both for the days ahead as well as the increasing numbers of issues that face us now!

Miles: Another thing is that both faith and generosity—or the lack thereof—is both a choice and a habit. If we choose to make it a habit to be generous now, then that lays a strong foundation so we’ll continue to be generous in the days ahead.

Dave: It is important to make it a habit now to trust in Yah to provide for our needs. If we do, we’ll begin having experiences that strengthen our faith, proving that Yah does indeed provide for His children. And that’s the kind of experience we need.

To put it more clearly: being generous—having a “good eye”—increases our faith as we, in our own lives, have experiences where Yah blessed us and provided for our needs.

Miles: I remember hearing of this contest a magazine ran years ago. The contest was to come up with the best definition of true poverty. They promised to give $1000 to whoever could come up with the best definition.

Dave: That’s an interesting competition!

Miles: Well, I think they were wanting to make a point about what true poverty is versus what some people think it is. It’s not being unable to buy the latest style of shoes, or . . . whatever.

Dave: So what was the winning definition?

Miles: Well, elderly, retired schoolteacher actually won. She said true poverty is when you are so poor that you have nothing left to give to someone else.

Dave: Interesting. That’s … that’s actually very insightful. If you don’t have money to give, you can give aid in other ways. You can even give a listening ear, an encouraging smile.

Miles: All of which comes back to bless the giver, filling our “body” with light.

Dave: And the truly beautiful thing is, as we allow the spirit of Yah to develop these godly traits in our character, we will end up receiving even more blessings than we are giving!

Generosity and faith go hand in hand. Both will grow exponentially when allowed to do so.

Miles: It has a rebound effect, doesn’t it?

Dave: And not just temporally, but spiritually as well, which is the most important. There’s one last passage I’d like to look at. Turn to Luke chapter 6 and read verses 37 and 38. Here, Christ is laying out the attitude we are to take when we have a “good” eye and what the rewards will be when we’re metaphorically filled with “light.”

Luke 6:37 and 38.

Miles: “Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”

Dave: Notice this is more than generosity with money. This is generosity of spirit. Giving someone else the benefit of the doubt, withholding judgment, bestowing compassion and understanding. When we do this, we will receive the same in return because with the same measure by which we judge others, we will be judged in return. If we are generous and kind in our attitudes and dealings with others, that same kindness and generosity will be returned to us.

Miles: What a beautiful interchange. There are such beautiful blessings bestowed when we seek Yah and do things His way!

We hope you can join us again tomorrow, and until then, remember: Yahuwah loves you . . . and He is safe to trust!

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This program and past episodes of WLC Radio are available for downloading on our website. They're great for sharing with friends and for use in Bible studies! They're also an excellent resource for those worshipping Yahuwah alone at home. To listen to previously aired programs, visit our website at WorldsLastChance.com. Click on the WLC Radio icon displayed on our homepage.

In his teachings and parables, the Savior gave no “signs of the times” to watch for. Instead, the thrust of his message was constant … vigilance. Join us again tomorrow for another truth-filled message as we explore various topics focused on the Savior's return and how to live in constant readiness to welcome him warmly when he comes.

WLC Radio: Teaching minds and preparing hearts for Christ's sudden return.