my perspective today is very different from what it was in 2010. at that time i was thinking that i would soon be busily involved in ministry for God. i was thinking that i would no longer be painting but devoting every moment to God and to the people to whom He wanted me to minister to. what actually has happened is something akin to being snatched off the street, bound and gagged, tortured with blows, rods and abuse of various kinds and left weak and starving..left for dead in the inky, stinking, horrid blackness. i am alone and filled with all kinds of increasing pain..dazed and not quite knowing what to do, having no one to go to, left for dead, alone. well not totally alone there is a light of sorts in my innermost being. there is a tender, caring, loving presence. in the midst of my darkness, pain, bombed out life Jesus, precious Jesus is still here.
this morning i looked at psalm 88. spending some time i labeled it variously, 'do you feel that God has abandoned you?', affliction, old age, the earthly lot of Jesus the messiah
the only shaft of light is the first line,
oh Lord, THE GOD OF MY SALVATION, and then continues speaking in
THE PAST THE PRESENT THE FUTURE COMMANDS & QUESTIONS
I HAVE CRIED OUT day and night before Thee
LET my prayer COME BEFORE Thee
INCLINE Thine ear unto my cry
for my soul IS FULL OF TROUBLES
and my life DRAWETH NIGH unto the grave
I AM COUNTED WITH them that go down to the pit
I AM AS a man that hath no strength.
(I AM) FREE* among the dead
(I AM) LIKE the slain that lie in the grave (whom Thou rememberest no more)
(they are cut off from Thy hand)
THOU HAST LAID ME in the lowest pit
in darkness
in the deeps.
THY WRATH LIETH HARD UPON me, and
THOU HAST AFFLICTED ME with all Thy waves selah.
THOU HAST PUT AWAY mine acquaintance far from me
THOU HAST MADE ME AN ABOMINATION unto them
I AM SHUT UP and
I CANNOT COME FORTH
MINE EYE MOURNETH by reason of affliction
Lord, I HAVE CALLED daily upon Thee
I HAVE STRETCHED OUT my hands unto Thee
wilt Thou SHEW WONDERS to the dead?
shall the dead ARISE and PRAISE Thee? SELAH
shall Thy lovingkindness BE DECLARED in the grave?
or Thy faithfulness in destruction?
shall Thy wonders BE KNOWN in the dark?
and Thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?
but unto Thee HAVE I CRIED, o Lord
and in the morning SHALL my prayer PREVENT Thee
Lord, why CASTETH Thou OFF my soul?
why HIDEST Thou Thy face from me?
I AM AFFLICTED and READY TO DIE from my youth up
while i suffer Thy terrors I AM DISTRACTED.
Thy fierce wrath GOETH OVER me
Thy terrors* HAVE CUT ME OFF.
they CAME ROUND ABOUT me daily like water
they COMPASSED me ABOUT together
lover and friend HAST Thou PUT far from me
and mine aquaintance (HAST Thou PUT) into darkness
summary-
in the PAST
I HAVE
CRIED OUT day and night before Thee
CALLED daily upon Thee
CRIED unto Thee oh Lord
THOU HAST
LAID ME in the lowest pit
darkness
the deeps
AFFLICTED ME with all Thy waves. selah.
PUT AWAY MINE ACQUAINTANCE far from me
MADE ME AN ABOMINATION unto them
CUT ME OFF with Thy terrors
Thy terrors CAME ROUND ABOUT ME daily like water
Thy terrors COMPASSED ME ABOUT together
PUT LOVER AND FRIEND FAR FROM ME
PUT MY ACQUAINTANCE IN DARKNESS
in the PRESENT
MY SOUL IS FULL OF TROUBLES
MY LIFE DRAWETH NIGH UNTO THE GRAVE
I AM COUNTED WITH them that go down to the pit
I AM AS a man that hath no strength
I AM FREE among the dead
I AM LIKE the slain that lie in the grave
I AM SHUT UP and
I CANNOT COME FORTH
MINE EYE MOURNETH by reason of affliction
I AM AFFLICTED AND READY TO DIE from my youth up
while i suffer Thy terrors I AM DISTRACTED
Thy fierce wrath GOETH OVER ME
so THE WRITER and (if, as a prophet he is speaking of Jesus Christ during His future time here on earth)
JESUS CHRIST and
I , the reader, insofar as what is written matches my situation matches what is written,
are PRAYing:
LET my prayer COME BEFORE Thee
INCLINE thine ear unto my cry
we humans keep praying that God hears. hopefully, we do this not because we truly believe He hasn't heard. if Jeremiah 33.3 is true (CALL TO ME, AND I WILL ANSWER YOU) we know one thing - God always answers prayer in the manner of 'yes', 'no' and 'not now(yet)..is that true or not? but here the writer has prayed in the past and he keeps praying! (Jesus..'ask..seek..knock') why? it comes to mind that it is good for me to have the type of relationship with God where there is an constant, confident, 'tell all' type of interaction...it is good to behold His beauty and to inquire in His temple..isn't prayer more about 'coming to become like Him' rather than an exercise in 'getting what we want'?..that takes time with Him, seeing Him in His word through the operation of the Spirit, sensing what delights Him, asking Him to show us what He wants and resting in His will (ie. whatever is happening...whatever His will is for whatever is to come)..coming to have only one overarching desire-Your will be done Lord, on earth as it is in heaven..it is good when my faith is failing, has failed..to continue to cling to Him in prayer..
the condition, the circumstances are pretty grim. after the opening flash of LIGHT AND HOPE ('oh Lord God of my salvation') this psalm is unremittingly dark to the very last word. but what more light does anyone need, no matter how dark it is, to know the Lord as savior. here my savior has
1. laid me low in the pit, in deeps (a metaphorical way of saying i am near death..drawing nigh to the grave?)
2. laid me in darkness (another word for #1 or referring to mental, spiritual or other types of darkness?)
3. afflicted me (with all His waves..the last referring to repeated afflictions of a certain type or of the same type?
4. moved lover, friend and acquaintance away (totally cut off from other people?)
5. made me an abomination, at least to my acquaintances (lover and friend too!?)
6. sent terrors which cut me off, come round about me, compass me (Jesus on the cross, what about me?)
7. ..they cause me to be distracted
8. sent His fierce wrath which 'goeth over' me
as a result
1. my soul is full of troubles
2. i am counted with those who go down to the pit
3. i have no strength
4. i am free among the dead
5. i am like the slain that lie in the grave
6. i am shut up
7. i cannot come forth
8. my eye mourneth because of my affliction
9. i am afflicted
10. i am ready to die
the only one who perfectly matches this is Jesus Christ facing and experiencing crucifixion on the cross. no matter what i face i will never face what He faced and i have the same savior He had.
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Thursday, May 24, 2012
5.24.2012 WINSTON CHURCHILL by martin gilbert
born 11.30.1874
3 cardinal principles of equity (quality of being fair or impartial)
1. suspicion is not evidence
2. accused persons should be heard in their own defense
3. it is for the accuser to prove his charge, not for the defendant to prove his innocence
..'the punishment of innocent people is to be regarded as a crime or as a calamity to be prevented by unstinting exertion..
free trade (no government interference)
10.13.1905 churchill (henceforth 'c') and another were both repeatedly interrupted by 2 leading suffragettes..who were escorted from the hall and fined..c said
'to throw great public meetings into confusion and to disregard the chairman, cannot be defendeed on democratic grounds..the power of conducting orderly discussions in very large gatherings is on of the most valuable possessions of the british people..with..a man who disturbss..it is easy..but it is repugnant t..be applied to women: but if sex confers protection, it should also enjoin constraint
c referred.. to an england (eng)
'of wise men who gaze without self-deception at the failings and follies of both political parties; of brave and earnest men who find in nether faction fair scope for the effort that is in them, of "poor men" who increasingly doubt the sincerity of party philosophy.
written by c:
my early life
history of the english speaking peoples
marlborough: his life and times
11.23.32 'i cannot recall anytime when the gap between the kind of words which statesmen used and what was actually happening in many countries was so great as now. the habit of saying smooth things and utterring pious platitudes and sentiments to gain applaus, without relation to the underlying facts, is more pronounce now than it has ever been in my experience'.
c was convinced that he was upholding a basic principle of parliamentary democracy, that the government must act honestly in its evolution of informantion and draw the correct conclusion from those facts however embarrassing or alaming that might be
3 cardinal principles of equity (quality of being fair or impartial)
1. suspicion is not evidence
2. accused persons should be heard in their own defense
3. it is for the accuser to prove his charge, not for the defendant to prove his innocence
..'the punishment of innocent people is to be regarded as a crime or as a calamity to be prevented by unstinting exertion..
free trade (no government interference)
10.13.1905 churchill (henceforth 'c') and another were both repeatedly interrupted by 2 leading suffragettes..who were escorted from the hall and fined..c said
'to throw great public meetings into confusion and to disregard the chairman, cannot be defendeed on democratic grounds..the power of conducting orderly discussions in very large gatherings is on of the most valuable possessions of the british people..with..a man who disturbss..it is easy..but it is repugnant t..be applied to women: but if sex confers protection, it should also enjoin constraint
c referred.. to an england (eng)
'of wise men who gaze without self-deception at the failings and follies of both political parties; of brave and earnest men who find in nether faction fair scope for the effort that is in them, of "poor men" who increasingly doubt the sincerity of party philosophy.
written by c:
my early life
history of the english speaking peoples
marlborough: his life and times
11.23.32 'i cannot recall anytime when the gap between the kind of words which statesmen used and what was actually happening in many countries was so great as now. the habit of saying smooth things and utterring pious platitudes and sentiments to gain applaus, without relation to the underlying facts, is more pronounce now than it has ever been in my experience'.
c was convinced that he was upholding a basic principle of parliamentary democracy, that the government must act honestly in its evolution of informantion and draw the correct conclusion from those facts however embarrassing or alaming that might be
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
5.9.2012 APT TO TEACH - I TIMOTHY 3.2
a bishop (lit. 'overseer') then must be
blameless
the husband of one wife
vigilent
sober
of good behavior
given to hospitality
APT TO TEACH...let's stop here on the list of qualifications necessary for what we commonly call in america, the pastor.
the pastor is a shepherd of sheep, the human kind who are marked by several things that the animal kind are known for. sheep wander away. they get themselves stuck in thorny places. at times they, i don't know the correct way to say this, are cast, that is they fall down and can't get up. human beings tend to wander away from God and get stuck in 'places' they can't get out of without great pain or at times they find themselves absolutely helpless and will die a slow miserable death unless helped. Jesus, who is now in heaven is called the great shepherd and the good shepherd, if i have that right...and it would appear that He is the example for human shepherds, pastors, are to follow.
the only thing Jesus was known to do during His 3+ years of ministry was to
1. proclaim the gospel of the kingdom constantly everywhere He went
2. taught
3. helped people who were in need.
as He did this His disciples (lit. 'learners) listened, asked questions and were given opportunities to help people in need.
Jesus' teaching was not of intellectual facts. His purpose was to teach a way of life that was a carbon copy of His own. when His followers (He initiated all this by calling certain people to 'follow Me'.) wandered, found themselves in difficulty or worse, He came to them and helped them. several examples were how he calmed the stormy sea when the disciples thought they were about to drown on the sea of galilee and how He went to peter immediately after He rose from the dead...the one who had cursed and sworn that he did not know Jesus and went away from Him as He was undergoing the trial leading to His crucifixion.
when Jesus ascended up into heaven He left behind Him the pattern for all those on earth that He would call to follow Him, that is those who He expected to do exactly what He did. He also left the same pattern for those He would call to play the role He played for His disciple. these men were to be flesh and blood examples of the life that Jesus lived when He was here. they were also to watch over all the people Jesus called to imitate His life...just the way He did.
Jesus' goal was to speak and live what He saw His heavenly Father do and heard His heavenly Father say. how closely a disciple approximated Jesus' life was measured by how closely he spoke and lived Truth. the pastor or undershepherd's goal is to speak and live Truth with the goal that Jesus' followers around him would do the same. whoever does this, to the degree they do it they will lose their lives, will be persecuted and may well be martyred. there are very few who will be in heaven...and every one of them will be like these shepherds and the sheep who they watch over as they all speak and live Truth.
so one of the important requirements of the undershepherd, the overseer of Jesus' sheep is that he be APT TO TEACH. this means he does things like,
1. make disciples (matthew 28. 18-20)
2. imitate Christ (ephesians 5.1)
3. perfect the saints...how do we know they are perfected?
they do a work...what kind of work?
ministry...what does that supply?
first, unity of faith...that means they all believe the same thing? they all believe what God say, what Jesus did was true.
second,
1. knowledge of the Son of God, that leads
2. unto a perfect man, that leads
3. unto a measure of the
stature of the
fullness of
Christ, in other words knowledge of Him that leads a person to be exactly like Him.
...so to summarize so far
pastor-teachers
are to perfect disciples of Jesus
so that they do a work
that is marked by complete faith in what Jesus says shared by all other 'believers' in Him, and
complete imitation of who Jesus is and what He did
2 things result in the lives of these believer/imitators:
1. THEY ARE NO MORE CHILDREN
tossed to and fro, AND
carried about with every wind of doctrine
by the sleight of men and
cunning craftiness whereby
they lie in wait to disceive
BUT
2. SPEAKING THE TRUTH IN LOVE
may grow up
into Him (in all things)
which is the head,
even Christ.
how does a man who heals every person who needs it and occasionally raises people from the dead only manage to live for several years (and only that long due to a number of strategic withdrawals from places of danger) before He is - being considered worse than a murderer and treated worse than a criminal and nearly universally abandoned even by those who professed to be closest to Him - mocked, ridiculed, abused, beaten, stripped of the little He owned and crucified, as one considered a curse, on a cross?
HE SPOKE AND LIVED TRUTH.
THIS WHAT THE OVERSEER IS TO BE APT TO TEACH.
blameless
the husband of one wife
vigilent
sober
of good behavior
given to hospitality
APT TO TEACH...let's stop here on the list of qualifications necessary for what we commonly call in america, the pastor.
the pastor is a shepherd of sheep, the human kind who are marked by several things that the animal kind are known for. sheep wander away. they get themselves stuck in thorny places. at times they, i don't know the correct way to say this, are cast, that is they fall down and can't get up. human beings tend to wander away from God and get stuck in 'places' they can't get out of without great pain or at times they find themselves absolutely helpless and will die a slow miserable death unless helped. Jesus, who is now in heaven is called the great shepherd and the good shepherd, if i have that right...and it would appear that He is the example for human shepherds, pastors, are to follow.
the only thing Jesus was known to do during His 3+ years of ministry was to
1. proclaim the gospel of the kingdom constantly everywhere He went
2. taught
3. helped people who were in need.
as He did this His disciples (lit. 'learners) listened, asked questions and were given opportunities to help people in need.
Jesus' teaching was not of intellectual facts. His purpose was to teach a way of life that was a carbon copy of His own. when His followers (He initiated all this by calling certain people to 'follow Me'.) wandered, found themselves in difficulty or worse, He came to them and helped them. several examples were how he calmed the stormy sea when the disciples thought they were about to drown on the sea of galilee and how He went to peter immediately after He rose from the dead...the one who had cursed and sworn that he did not know Jesus and went away from Him as He was undergoing the trial leading to His crucifixion.
when Jesus ascended up into heaven He left behind Him the pattern for all those on earth that He would call to follow Him, that is those who He expected to do exactly what He did. He also left the same pattern for those He would call to play the role He played for His disciple. these men were to be flesh and blood examples of the life that Jesus lived when He was here. they were also to watch over all the people Jesus called to imitate His life...just the way He did.
Jesus' goal was to speak and live what He saw His heavenly Father do and heard His heavenly Father say. how closely a disciple approximated Jesus' life was measured by how closely he spoke and lived Truth. the pastor or undershepherd's goal is to speak and live Truth with the goal that Jesus' followers around him would do the same. whoever does this, to the degree they do it they will lose their lives, will be persecuted and may well be martyred. there are very few who will be in heaven...and every one of them will be like these shepherds and the sheep who they watch over as they all speak and live Truth.
so one of the important requirements of the undershepherd, the overseer of Jesus' sheep is that he be APT TO TEACH. this means he does things like,
1. make disciples (matthew 28. 18-20)
2. imitate Christ (ephesians 5.1)
3. perfect the saints...how do we know they are perfected?
they do a work...what kind of work?
ministry...what does that supply?
first, unity of faith...that means they all believe the same thing? they all believe what God say, what Jesus did was true.
second,
1. knowledge of the Son of God, that leads
2. unto a perfect man, that leads
3. unto a measure of the
stature of the
fullness of
Christ, in other words knowledge of Him that leads a person to be exactly like Him.
...so to summarize so far
pastor-teachers
are to perfect disciples of Jesus
so that they do a work
that is marked by complete faith in what Jesus says shared by all other 'believers' in Him, and
complete imitation of who Jesus is and what He did
2 things result in the lives of these believer/imitators:
1. THEY ARE NO MORE CHILDREN
tossed to and fro, AND
carried about with every wind of doctrine
by the sleight of men and
cunning craftiness whereby
they lie in wait to disceive
BUT
2. SPEAKING THE TRUTH IN LOVE
may grow up
into Him (in all things)
which is the head,
even Christ.
how does a man who heals every person who needs it and occasionally raises people from the dead only manage to live for several years (and only that long due to a number of strategic withdrawals from places of danger) before He is - being considered worse than a murderer and treated worse than a criminal and nearly universally abandoned even by those who professed to be closest to Him - mocked, ridiculed, abused, beaten, stripped of the little He owned and crucified, as one considered a curse, on a cross?
HE SPOKE AND LIVED TRUTH.
THIS WHAT THE OVERSEER IS TO BE APT TO TEACH.
Monday, May 7, 2012
5.7.2012 PSALM 19.13 KEEP BACK THY SERVANT!...FROM SIN'S DOMINION!!
it is an evil man's cross to be restrained, and a good man's joy to be kept back form sin. when sin puts forth itslef, the evil man is putting forth his hand to the sin; but when sin puts forth itself, the good man is putting forth his hand to heaven; if he hinds his heart yielding, out he cries, o keep back thy servant. an exil man is kept back from sin, as a friend from a friend, as a lover from his lover, with knit affections and projects of meeting; but a good man is kept back from sin, as a man from his deadly enemy, whose presence he hates, and with desires of his ruin and destruction. it is the good man's misery that he hath yet a heart to be more tamed and mastered ; it is an evil man's vexation and discontent, that still, or at any time, he is held in by cord or bridle. and thus you see what david aims at in desiring to be kept back from presumptuous sins, namely, not a mere suspension, but a mortification, not a not acting only, but a subduing of the inclination; not for a time, but for ever. - obadiah sedgwick
even all the people of God, were they not kept by god's grace and power, they would every moment be undone both in soul and body. it is not our grace, our prayer, our watchfulness keeps us, but it is the power of God, his right arm, supports us; we may see david praying to God that he would 'keep' him in both these respects from temporal dangers (psalm 17.8-9)..where he doth not only pray to be kept, but he doth insinuate how carefully God keeps his people, and in what precious account their safety is, even as 'the apple of the eye', and for spiritual preservation he often begs it. though david be God's 'servant' yet he will, like a wild horse, run violently, and that into 'presumptuous sins', if God 'keep' him not 'back', yea, he prayeth that God would 'keep' theparticular parts of his body that they sin not: 'leep the door of my lips' (psalm 141.3); he entreateth God to 'keep' his lips and to set a watch about his mouth, as if he were not able to set guard sure enough: thus much more are we to pray tha God would 'keep' our hearts, our minds, our wills, our affections, for they are more masterful. - anthony burgess
God keeps back His servants from sin,
1. by preventing grace, which is, by infusing such a nature as is like a BIAS into a bowl. drawing it aside
bias - (from french 'biais' -a slope; 'biaiser' - to use shifts, evasions, tricks)
1. a weight on the side of a bowl which turns it from a straight line;
2. a leaning of the mind;
3. inclination
4. propensity toward an object;
5. that which causes the mind to lean of incline, from a state of indifference, to a particular object or course;
6. a line diagonal to the grain or fabric (45 degree angle to the selvedge; often used in the cutting of garments for a smoother fit;
7. a peculiarity in the shape of a bowl that causes it to swerve when rolled on the green;
8. the tendency of a bowl to swerve or the impulse causing this tendency
9. the swerve of the bowl
another way;
2. by assisting grace, which is a further strength superadded to that first-implanted nature of holiness; like a hand upon a child holding him in;
3. by quickening grace, which is, when God doth enliven our graces to manifest themselves in actual opposition; so that the soulshall not yield, but keep off from entertaining the sin;
4. by directing grace, which is, when God confers that effectual wisdom to the mind, tenderness to the conscience, watchfulness to the heart, that his servants become greatly solicitous of His honour, scrupulously jealous of their own strength, and justly regardful of the honour of their holy profession;
5. by doing grace, which is when God effectually iclines the hearts of His servants to the places and ways of their refuge, safeties, and preservations from sin, by enlarging the spiritof supplication, and framing the heart to the reverent and affectionate use of his ordinances. - condensed from obadiah sedgwick
Thy servant': as if he had said, 'O God, Thou art my Lord, i have chosen Thee, to whom i will give obedience; Thou art He whom i will follow; i bestow allthat i am on Thee; now a lord will help his servant against an enemy, who for the lord's service is the servant's enemy. o my Lord, help me! i am not able by my own strength to uphold myself, but Thou are All-sufficiency' - 'keep back thy servant...'...beloved, it is a great thing to stand in near relations to god; and then it is a good thing to plead by them with God, forsomuch as nearer relations have strongest force with all. the servant can do more than a stranger, and the child than a servant, and the wife than a child....there be many reasons against sinning...now this also may come in, namely, the speciality of our relation to God, that we are his children, and he is our Father; we are his servants, and he is our Lord: though the common obligations are many and sufficient, yet the special relations are also a further tie; the more near a person comes to God, the more careful he should be not to sin against God. - obadiah sedgwick
'presumptuous sins' the rabbins distinguish all sins unto those committed (bshogeg) ignorantly and mezid (?) presumptua
even all the people of God, were they not kept by god's grace and power, they would every moment be undone both in soul and body. it is not our grace, our prayer, our watchfulness keeps us, but it is the power of God, his right arm, supports us; we may see david praying to God that he would 'keep' him in both these respects from temporal dangers (psalm 17.8-9)..where he doth not only pray to be kept, but he doth insinuate how carefully God keeps his people, and in what precious account their safety is, even as 'the apple of the eye', and for spiritual preservation he often begs it. though david be God's 'servant' yet he will, like a wild horse, run violently, and that into 'presumptuous sins', if God 'keep' him not 'back', yea, he prayeth that God would 'keep' theparticular parts of his body that they sin not: 'leep the door of my lips' (psalm 141.3); he entreateth God to 'keep' his lips and to set a watch about his mouth, as if he were not able to set guard sure enough: thus much more are we to pray tha God would 'keep' our hearts, our minds, our wills, our affections, for they are more masterful. - anthony burgess
God keeps back His servants from sin,
1. by preventing grace, which is, by infusing such a nature as is like a BIAS into a bowl. drawing it aside
bias - (from french 'biais' -a slope; 'biaiser' - to use shifts, evasions, tricks)
1. a weight on the side of a bowl which turns it from a straight line;
2. a leaning of the mind;
3. inclination
4. propensity toward an object;
5. that which causes the mind to lean of incline, from a state of indifference, to a particular object or course;
6. a line diagonal to the grain or fabric (45 degree angle to the selvedge; often used in the cutting of garments for a smoother fit;
7. a peculiarity in the shape of a bowl that causes it to swerve when rolled on the green;
8. the tendency of a bowl to swerve or the impulse causing this tendency
9. the swerve of the bowl
another way;
2. by assisting grace, which is a further strength superadded to that first-implanted nature of holiness; like a hand upon a child holding him in;
3. by quickening grace, which is, when God doth enliven our graces to manifest themselves in actual opposition; so that the soulshall not yield, but keep off from entertaining the sin;
4. by directing grace, which is, when God confers that effectual wisdom to the mind, tenderness to the conscience, watchfulness to the heart, that his servants become greatly solicitous of His honour, scrupulously jealous of their own strength, and justly regardful of the honour of their holy profession;
5. by doing grace, which is when God effectually iclines the hearts of His servants to the places and ways of their refuge, safeties, and preservations from sin, by enlarging the spiritof supplication, and framing the heart to the reverent and affectionate use of his ordinances. - condensed from obadiah sedgwick
Thy servant': as if he had said, 'O God, Thou art my Lord, i have chosen Thee, to whom i will give obedience; Thou art He whom i will follow; i bestow allthat i am on Thee; now a lord will help his servant against an enemy, who for the lord's service is the servant's enemy. o my Lord, help me! i am not able by my own strength to uphold myself, but Thou are All-sufficiency' - 'keep back thy servant...'...beloved, it is a great thing to stand in near relations to god; and then it is a good thing to plead by them with God, forsomuch as nearer relations have strongest force with all. the servant can do more than a stranger, and the child than a servant, and the wife than a child....there be many reasons against sinning...now this also may come in, namely, the speciality of our relation to God, that we are his children, and he is our Father; we are his servants, and he is our Lord: though the common obligations are many and sufficient, yet the special relations are also a further tie; the more near a person comes to God, the more careful he should be not to sin against God. - obadiah sedgwick
'presumptuous sins' the rabbins distinguish all sins unto those committed (bshogeg) ignorantly and mezid (?) presumptua
Friday, May 4, 2012
5.4.2012 SECOND-HAND BELIEVER?
open your eyes - keith green
1.open your eyes to the world all around you; open your eyes, open your eyes
this world is much more than the things that surround you; you must arise and open your eyes
sometimes we're too busy to share; but Jesus wants us to care, to care
2. open your arms to the naked and shivering; open your arms, open your arms
we need a little less talking and a whole lot more giving; we're so safe and warm, we can open our arms
and love a little bit stronger and pray a little bit longer, longer..oh
chorus
Jesus says when we love someone in His name we're loving Him
Jesus says when we touch someone in His name we're touching Him
Jesus says when we feed someone in His name we're feeding Him
Jesus says when we reach someone in His name..He says, it's all for Him, it's all for Him
and we need to show them the light; we've got to pour out our lives, our lives.
3. open Your eyes (hearts) to the ones who are desperate; open your hearts, open your hearts
they may never repay you but their souls are worth it; new life you impart when you open your heart
Jesus loves all men the same, so we've got to go out in His name, His name
outside of larry norman, keith green, who died in an airplane crash in the 1980s, is one of the few prophetic voices whose music God used to change my heart and my life. before singing the above song (i did not type it totally correctly wanting to get as many of the words in without having to type all the redundancies.) he said something to this effect,
this generation of believers is responsible for this generation of souls around the world. (matthew 28.18-20; mark 16.15)...pray, how 'bout me not sending my money this time, how 'bout me going! IT'S SO EASY TO WRITE A CHECK. it's so easy. but God can't cash out of state checks in heaven...HE NEEDS Y-O-U.
i am a second hand believer. Jesus was constantly proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom to people FACE TO FACE. constantly teaching people, talking to people, healing people...FACE TO FACE. i really don't have a whole lot of face to face contact with people. the little i have i am not doing what Jesus did. but i'm good at writing checks.
WHEN I WAS HUNGRY, you gave Me food; WHEN THIRSTY, you gave Me drink; WHEN I WAS A STRANGER, you took Me into your home; WHEN NAKED you clothed Me; WHEN I WAS ILL you came to My help, WHEN IN PRISON you visited Me. matthew 25.35-6 i occasionally write a check but there is not one flesh and blood needy person that i am currently helping in these ways. will He say to me in judgement, 'the curse is on you; go from My sight to the eternal fire that is ready for the devil and his angels'? v41 won't checks count at all? do i really NEED to meet real needs of real people myself?
1.open your eyes to the world all around you; open your eyes, open your eyes
this world is much more than the things that surround you; you must arise and open your eyes
sometimes we're too busy to share; but Jesus wants us to care, to care
2. open your arms to the naked and shivering; open your arms, open your arms
we need a little less talking and a whole lot more giving; we're so safe and warm, we can open our arms
and love a little bit stronger and pray a little bit longer, longer..oh
chorus
Jesus says when we love someone in His name we're loving Him
Jesus says when we touch someone in His name we're touching Him
Jesus says when we feed someone in His name we're feeding Him
Jesus says when we reach someone in His name..He says, it's all for Him, it's all for Him
and we need to show them the light; we've got to pour out our lives, our lives.
3. open Your eyes (hearts) to the ones who are desperate; open your hearts, open your hearts
they may never repay you but their souls are worth it; new life you impart when you open your heart
Jesus loves all men the same, so we've got to go out in His name, His name
outside of larry norman, keith green, who died in an airplane crash in the 1980s, is one of the few prophetic voices whose music God used to change my heart and my life. before singing the above song (i did not type it totally correctly wanting to get as many of the words in without having to type all the redundancies.) he said something to this effect,
this generation of believers is responsible for this generation of souls around the world. (matthew 28.18-20; mark 16.15)...pray, how 'bout me not sending my money this time, how 'bout me going! IT'S SO EASY TO WRITE A CHECK. it's so easy. but God can't cash out of state checks in heaven...HE NEEDS Y-O-U.
i am a second hand believer. Jesus was constantly proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom to people FACE TO FACE. constantly teaching people, talking to people, healing people...FACE TO FACE. i really don't have a whole lot of face to face contact with people. the little i have i am not doing what Jesus did. but i'm good at writing checks.
WHEN I WAS HUNGRY, you gave Me food; WHEN THIRSTY, you gave Me drink; WHEN I WAS A STRANGER, you took Me into your home; WHEN NAKED you clothed Me; WHEN I WAS ILL you came to My help, WHEN IN PRISON you visited Me. matthew 25.35-6 i occasionally write a check but there is not one flesh and blood needy person that i am currently helping in these ways. will He say to me in judgement, 'the curse is on you; go from My sight to the eternal fire that is ready for the devil and his angels'? v41 won't checks count at all? do i really NEED to meet real needs of real people myself?
Thursday, May 3, 2012
5.3.2012 I JOHN 2.15-17 AM I CHOKING?
DO NOT SET YOUR HEARTS ON THE GODLESS WORLD OR ANYTHING IN IT. ANYONE WHO LOVES THE WORLD IS A STRANGER TO THE FATHER'S LOVE. EVERYTHING THE WORLD AFFORDS, ALL THAT PANDERS TO THE APPETITES OR ENTICES THE EYES, ALL THE GLAMOUR OF ITS LIFE, SPRINGS NOT FROM THE FATHER BUT FROM THE GODLESS WORLD. AND THAT WORLD IS PASSING AWAY WITH ALL ITS ALLUREMENTS, BUT HE WHO DOES GOD'S WILL STANDS FOREVERMORE.
it has been slowly taking shape in my soul but this morning i came to conscious level of realization as it were.. or seemed to be. i have gotten back into the habit of reading the sports pages every day and sports illustrated every week over the past year or so. during the same time another habit, build upon the desire to catch up with the latest in sports on kyw, the local radio news station, of listening to, to use the word loosely..the news (the newest, latest happenings...or is it what has most lately been decided that the common man's attention be focused on?). it is coming into slowly sharpening focus that these, along with the habit of watching basketball on my sister's television (i sanctimoniously have carried my own set to a local 'goods for the poor' store...at yet the Idol has insinuated itself into my life from another geographical location!) are tiny little technological lemmings or lilliputians which are slyly 'capturing' me, my mind, my life. they, i sense, along with possibly other similarly sly, innocuous 'creatures' will take on a life and power of their own and will not be content until they are completely 'guiding' me, dominating and deciding how and for what i will live, occupying my every moment, my every thought. probably not...but i have this sneaking suspicion, this, probably, totally irrational thought.
i am coming to a growing awareness that HABITS, no matter how small and innocuous they may seem, may have tremendous power. they may have the same power to mold and decide who i am or will be on the inside as what, for want of a better word, SOCIAL MORES (societal expectations, if you will) have to mold me on the outside.
i am aware of a slight, spiritual gurgling, choking sound echoing from deep within. it's probably just my imagination, but i sense that it may be important for me to:
1. take up a serious cry to God to help me be totally (TOTALLY?! the very word rips and tears my screaming Flesh, my SELF! will not endure such indignity!!) deny myself of these, and
2. set about taking these little imposing, self-important tyrants by the scruff of their slimy little necks and rip them out of my life. (oh, but the thot comes, 'be careful! do this gradually, ever so gradually. exercise moderation. you don't want to go off the deep end'...the second, follows closely, 'you will never be able to do it. don't even try'.
but then the thot comes, when Jesus talks about the little inner habit of looking at women in order to lust for them does He talk of gradualism or hint of impossibility...or does He clearly recommend an awful, bloody, self-masochism (pleasure gained through pain) when He says,
'if your right eye is your undoing, TEAR IT OUT AND FLING IT AWAY; it is better for you to lose one part of your body than for the whole of it to be thrown into hell. and if your right hand is your undoing, CUT IT OFF AND FLING IT AWAY; it is better for you to lose one part of your body than for the whole of it to go to hell' matthew 5.29-30
YEA BUT...my whole flesh rises up in total rebellion and strong resistance to this word comes unbidden. yea but that was for a real sin, even though unseen. but this, these little things,(that are gradually taking over my life and shaping how i think and determining how i spend my seconds) they are so harmless and innocent. there is nothing wrong with them, surely.
...anyway i have noticed in the papers and on the air how much time is spent on things that my baser self craves and encourages me to spend time on what is, in effect, a Zero, when it comes to eternity. it progressively encourages me to keep investing in myself and laying nothing up with which i can meet God...which could very really result in the fact that he would not be able to say to me, 'well DONE (every second this world occupies nothing is DONE, inwardly or outwardly, for God) good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of thy Lord'.
oh help me to bloody up my life, appearing here as a freak of worse, so that i may spend my seconds DOING for You.
'
it has been slowly taking shape in my soul but this morning i came to conscious level of realization as it were.. or seemed to be. i have gotten back into the habit of reading the sports pages every day and sports illustrated every week over the past year or so. during the same time another habit, build upon the desire to catch up with the latest in sports on kyw, the local radio news station, of listening to, to use the word loosely..the news (the newest, latest happenings...or is it what has most lately been decided that the common man's attention be focused on?). it is coming into slowly sharpening focus that these, along with the habit of watching basketball on my sister's television (i sanctimoniously have carried my own set to a local 'goods for the poor' store...at yet the Idol has insinuated itself into my life from another geographical location!) are tiny little technological lemmings or lilliputians which are slyly 'capturing' me, my mind, my life. they, i sense, along with possibly other similarly sly, innocuous 'creatures' will take on a life and power of their own and will not be content until they are completely 'guiding' me, dominating and deciding how and for what i will live, occupying my every moment, my every thought. probably not...but i have this sneaking suspicion, this, probably, totally irrational thought.
i am coming to a growing awareness that HABITS, no matter how small and innocuous they may seem, may have tremendous power. they may have the same power to mold and decide who i am or will be on the inside as what, for want of a better word, SOCIAL MORES (societal expectations, if you will) have to mold me on the outside.
i am aware of a slight, spiritual gurgling, choking sound echoing from deep within. it's probably just my imagination, but i sense that it may be important for me to:
1. take up a serious cry to God to help me be totally (TOTALLY?! the very word rips and tears my screaming Flesh, my SELF! will not endure such indignity!!) deny myself of these, and
2. set about taking these little imposing, self-important tyrants by the scruff of their slimy little necks and rip them out of my life. (oh, but the thot comes, 'be careful! do this gradually, ever so gradually. exercise moderation. you don't want to go off the deep end'...the second, follows closely, 'you will never be able to do it. don't even try'.
but then the thot comes, when Jesus talks about the little inner habit of looking at women in order to lust for them does He talk of gradualism or hint of impossibility...or does He clearly recommend an awful, bloody, self-masochism (pleasure gained through pain) when He says,
'if your right eye is your undoing, TEAR IT OUT AND FLING IT AWAY; it is better for you to lose one part of your body than for the whole of it to be thrown into hell. and if your right hand is your undoing, CUT IT OFF AND FLING IT AWAY; it is better for you to lose one part of your body than for the whole of it to go to hell' matthew 5.29-30
YEA BUT...my whole flesh rises up in total rebellion and strong resistance to this word comes unbidden. yea but that was for a real sin, even though unseen. but this, these little things,(that are gradually taking over my life and shaping how i think and determining how i spend my seconds) they are so harmless and innocent. there is nothing wrong with them, surely.
...anyway i have noticed in the papers and on the air how much time is spent on things that my baser self craves and encourages me to spend time on what is, in effect, a Zero, when it comes to eternity. it progressively encourages me to keep investing in myself and laying nothing up with which i can meet God...which could very really result in the fact that he would not be able to say to me, 'well DONE (every second this world occupies nothing is DONE, inwardly or outwardly, for God) good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of thy Lord'.
oh help me to bloody up my life, appearing here as a freak of worse, so that i may spend my seconds DOING for You.
'
5.3.2012 OVERHEARD
...became law in tennessee early in april...the law instructs teachers and administrators to
'create an environment within public elementary and secondary schools that encourages students to explore scientific questions, learn about scientific evidence, develop critical thinking skills and respond appropriately and respectfully to differences of opinion about controversial issues'.
...a similar one in louisiana, calls for teachers to
'understand, analyze, critique, and review in an objective manner the scientific strengths and scientific weaknesses of existing scientific theories covered in the course being taught'..
...the american association for the advancement of science
the american civil liberties union of tennessee
the american institute of biological sciences
the national association of geoscience teachers
and others are concerned
....more than 800 phd. bearing scientists have signed a statement expressing skepticism about contemporary
evolutionary theory's claims that random mutation and natural selection account for the complexity of life. they say,
'careful examination of the evidence for darwinian theory should be encouraged'.
...tennesee's law says
'evolution should be taught as a scientific theory that is open to critical scrutiny, not as a sacred dogma that can't be questioned'.
...the new york times editorialized during the scopes 'monkey trial'
'if man has evolved, it is inconceivable that the process should stop and leave him in his present imperfect state. specific creation has no such promise for man'.
'apparently, i'm supposed to be more angry about what mitt romney does with his money than what barack obama does with mine'.
'if you think you are not conceited, it means you are very conceited indeed.
'the proud man thinks he is humble, but the humble man thinks he is proud..he aggressively pursues a life of humility, but he doesn't think of himself as humble. the proud man is completely unaware of his pride. of all men he is most convinced that he is humble'.
'tolerance once meant recognizing the rights of others to have different views. now it stipulates that no one can say some views are right and others are wrong.
under the old definition 'tolerarance is the virtue of a person with convictions who thinks that others should not be coerced to agree with his convictions'.
the new definition leads to exclusion in the name of inclusion. ie. coercing christian groups into allowing non-christians to be officers and banning them if they require members' allegiance to biblical precepts.
(a mother of 8 upon fleeing the nuba mountain area in north sudan which is currently under attack by its own government)...'after many months of aggression, she says food ran out; 'i decided to bring my children here instead of allowing them to starve'.
saving her children meant leaving behind her elderly father who wasn't strong enough for the trek. he insisted she take the children.
'so i went and collected water, cooked food for him, and left. that the grave for him. there's no way out'.
chuck colson in his last speech
...'we're also seen as wanting to impose our views on people. don't let them tell you that. we don't impose anything. we propose. we propose an invitation to the wedding feast, to come to a better way of living. a better way of life. it's the great proposal'.
Jesus Christ's first message
...'repent for the kingdom of heaven is near'.
estimates vary, but the u.s. government estimates that between 14,500 and 17,500 people are trafficked for sex in the united states each year.
...to often it's too hard for a victim to prove her case. officers may more often charge a sex trafficking victim with prostitution and treat her as a criminal. pimps and others often entrap women before they reach age 15, according to morgan perry, executive producer of the documentary 'sex + money'...
'several years ago, while on one of my daily walks with my dogs, i decided to begin investing less time with them and more time in the lives of needy children. i have been a foster parent for almost four years now'.
'we also had an animal named 'trouble'. he was a steer. we ate him.'
'almost all of my canine friends at the local dog park have human names and their owners are not 'masters' but 'parents'. that makes me 'peg's dad'. the trend you described does not demonstrate an increased appreciation of animals but a degradation of the 'crown of creation', as the psalmist calls us, to the level of animals. call it the practical theology of a resurgent neo-paganism.'
'a great sorrow was hurled into my life and made it seem that life was over. on the same day, i happened to read 'i believe that i shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living!' psalm 27.13. i perceived that it was written by a man going through a grief like mine. on what basis was his confidence 0his bold assertion - that he would wee good in his future? after all, is it guaranteed to any of us that we will bounce back from tragedy? still, the king's faith statement excited me. i said, 'i want that for myself! I WILL BELIEVE it for myself, just as david did!'
'create an environment within public elementary and secondary schools that encourages students to explore scientific questions, learn about scientific evidence, develop critical thinking skills and respond appropriately and respectfully to differences of opinion about controversial issues'.
...a similar one in louisiana, calls for teachers to
'understand, analyze, critique, and review in an objective manner the scientific strengths and scientific weaknesses of existing scientific theories covered in the course being taught'..
...the american association for the advancement of science
the american civil liberties union of tennessee
the american institute of biological sciences
the national association of geoscience teachers
and others are concerned
....more than 800 phd. bearing scientists have signed a statement expressing skepticism about contemporary
evolutionary theory's claims that random mutation and natural selection account for the complexity of life. they say,
'careful examination of the evidence for darwinian theory should be encouraged'.
...tennesee's law says
'evolution should be taught as a scientific theory that is open to critical scrutiny, not as a sacred dogma that can't be questioned'.
...the new york times editorialized during the scopes 'monkey trial'
'if man has evolved, it is inconceivable that the process should stop and leave him in his present imperfect state. specific creation has no such promise for man'.
'apparently, i'm supposed to be more angry about what mitt romney does with his money than what barack obama does with mine'.
'if you think you are not conceited, it means you are very conceited indeed.
'the proud man thinks he is humble, but the humble man thinks he is proud..he aggressively pursues a life of humility, but he doesn't think of himself as humble. the proud man is completely unaware of his pride. of all men he is most convinced that he is humble'.
'tolerance once meant recognizing the rights of others to have different views. now it stipulates that no one can say some views are right and others are wrong.
under the old definition 'tolerarance is the virtue of a person with convictions who thinks that others should not be coerced to agree with his convictions'.
the new definition leads to exclusion in the name of inclusion. ie. coercing christian groups into allowing non-christians to be officers and banning them if they require members' allegiance to biblical precepts.
(a mother of 8 upon fleeing the nuba mountain area in north sudan which is currently under attack by its own government)...'after many months of aggression, she says food ran out; 'i decided to bring my children here instead of allowing them to starve'.
saving her children meant leaving behind her elderly father who wasn't strong enough for the trek. he insisted she take the children.
'so i went and collected water, cooked food for him, and left. that the grave for him. there's no way out'.
chuck colson in his last speech
...'we're also seen as wanting to impose our views on people. don't let them tell you that. we don't impose anything. we propose. we propose an invitation to the wedding feast, to come to a better way of living. a better way of life. it's the great proposal'.
Jesus Christ's first message
...'repent for the kingdom of heaven is near'.
estimates vary, but the u.s. government estimates that between 14,500 and 17,500 people are trafficked for sex in the united states each year.
...to often it's too hard for a victim to prove her case. officers may more often charge a sex trafficking victim with prostitution and treat her as a criminal. pimps and others often entrap women before they reach age 15, according to morgan perry, executive producer of the documentary 'sex + money'...
'several years ago, while on one of my daily walks with my dogs, i decided to begin investing less time with them and more time in the lives of needy children. i have been a foster parent for almost four years now'.
'we also had an animal named 'trouble'. he was a steer. we ate him.'
'almost all of my canine friends at the local dog park have human names and their owners are not 'masters' but 'parents'. that makes me 'peg's dad'. the trend you described does not demonstrate an increased appreciation of animals but a degradation of the 'crown of creation', as the psalmist calls us, to the level of animals. call it the practical theology of a resurgent neo-paganism.'
'a great sorrow was hurled into my life and made it seem that life was over. on the same day, i happened to read 'i believe that i shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living!' psalm 27.13. i perceived that it was written by a man going through a grief like mine. on what basis was his confidence 0his bold assertion - that he would wee good in his future? after all, is it guaranteed to any of us that we will bounce back from tragedy? still, the king's faith statement excited me. i said, 'i want that for myself! I WILL BELIEVE it for myself, just as david did!'
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