PROPER PRAYING

Psalm 35
This Psalm has the writer asking God to avenge the wrongful doing that others have done against him. We need God’s protection and should pray for it. We surely have not experienced what David had experienced when he wrote this - - active military, "I'll kill you" type of persecution. We are not actively sought out for persecution politically unless we fall victim to Facebook Trolls. In our lives the only persecution we can point to from the church is what we imagine in our heads.

Verse 28 says, " . . .and my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long." Some people end their prayers with these words. It seems to me they are actually praying: "If you do this, God, then I will give you praise". Two things occur to me - God cannot be bribed, it is wrong (an insult, even) to offer to pay Him for something. And second - we may well forget to praise God after He has done what we have asked; we just accept it and proceed on. Not thanking God is wrong anytime. It seems very wrong to promise Him thanks and then forget.

ALONE IN THE ROOM

(WHAT IT'S LIKE FOR THE HARD OF HEARING)
I went to a "real" Sunday School class a few days ago. It was "real" in the sense it was in the presence of other people and not on a computer or TV screen. But it was difficult for me because of my hearing handicap. It was a big room with a lot of people. When there are a lot of people, they make a lot of noise because they all talk at once. When there is a lot of noise it is exceedingly difficult for me to make out any one person. They must be speaking directly to me, looking at me and speaking loud enough so I can hear distinct words. Plus, there was loud music being performed in another part of the building which bled into our space.

The speaker had a microphone, but it was difficult for me to hear him. I lost the thread of what he was saying whenever he used too many verbal pauses like "ers" and "ahs" and "sos". I assume those sounds are supposed to be words, but they are not. Whenever he used a parenthetical expression, and I don't catch on that the speech subject was temporarily on a siding, I lose the thread of the topic. Once I am forced off the subject it is hard for me to keep track of the course of the topic.

There were others near us not paying attention and speaking among themselves, thus distracting me. When anyone else speaks at the same time as the principal speaker I cannot hear both, so I hear neither.

So, the cumulative effect of all this is that I go, I sit, I cannot understand what is being spoken. The result is I am effectively alone in a room where there are other people and I must sit quietly for a half hour or hour until they get done. Then I can leave.

LIGHTS AND GATHERING

When God set lights in heaven their purpose was to divide: night and day, signs, seasons, days, and years.

At creation was darkness and God created light making for day and night - - "Evening and Morning" - - but there were no "lights". By using the lights (Sun, Moon and Stars) men would be able to organize time into days (as of the days of the month), and years, and seasons. With just light and dark they could not do that.

Dividing of the waters may be the establishment of an atmosphere. What we see as the firmament (Sky) occurs because of the atmosphere being held close to the earth by gravity. It could also mean the first existence of the different states of matter, as in solid, liquid, gas. Without any water vapor and "lights" there would be no "firmament" to perceive - - only blackness of space. When God made a firmament maybe he "split" water vapor from liquid water. The "gathering together" of waters may have resulted as heaver liquid water descended and land was pushed up from below.

When standing on the earth, air, water vapor and lights appear to be stretched out as a dome overhead. As we progress up through it the gas gets thinner until it contributes no longer to the appearance of a firmament. The fact that this is no solid surface, as a dome stretched out over the earth, may say something about the nature of the difference between the physical and spiritual.

QUESTIONS TO ENCOURAGE ANSWERS

Consider how God Himself often used questions to help humans think about important matters and look at their real motivations. Immediately after Adam sinned - - with help from his helpmate - - God asked a series of questions:

Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?” He said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.” And God said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?” Then the man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.” And the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?”

Obviously, God knew the answer to every question He posed to Adam and Eve, so God wasn’t seeking unknown information. So, why did He use questions?

Questions hold us in suspense until we find what we believe are good answers. Questions can engage us to think about specific information in a matter. Questions are great educational tools because they prompt us to recognize facts on particular topics. When we hear a question on a subject important or interesting to us, we want to know the answer.

Consider a few questions asked by the Lord Jesus Christ to guide and direct the thinking of His hearers:

“Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me?”

“For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?”

When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?”

Asking questions can be very helpful in apologetics-oriented conversations. Consider how these questions invite, if not trigger, analytical thinking:

Why are the evolutionists’ anticipated “missing links” still missing?

Why do Darwinists use the term “natural selection” to refer to creatures’ interactions with their nonliving geophysical environment - - something that cannot think or make the kind of value judgments indispensable to any kind of “selection”?

Why does the real-world ice-core layer data fit the biblical record regarding Earth’s climate history, yet it clashes with the uniformitarian (evolutionist) assumptions about Earth’s history?

Why do evolutionists continue to use such discredited ideas as vestigial organs and Haeckel’s “recapitulating” embryos?

Why were evolutionists so easily fooled by the Piltdown Man hoax?

Why do we need reliable witnesses to know about unique events of Earth’s past such as creation week events or the global Flood? **

Leading questions like these can guide discussions with those who question - - as well as those who might not have been paying enough attention to have a question - - ultimately pointing those with “ears to hear” in the right direction and aiming natural curiosity toward relevant truth.

Can you think of some questions that can point thinking people toward the right answers?



** There can be no “reliable witness” among men. All men have (other than the witness of God in the Bible) is speculation - - guesses. No human existed at the beginning of creation week. Only God was there to provide us a description.

FESS UP

PSALM 32:3-7
"3 When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long. 4 For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer. [Selah] 5 I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I did not hide; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord”; and You forgave the guilt of my sin. [Selah]
6 Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to You in a time when You may be found; surely in a flood of great waters they will not reach him.
7 You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble; You surround me with songs of deliverance. [Selah]."

This shows how important it is to be close to God. Keep the accounts short. Keep the lines of communication open. Do your confessing business at a time when the confessing needs to be done, not when the floods come in. There may be a time when it is too late to confess, or at least not profitable - - when you get into the stage of being in the "floods of great waters".

If you’re standing in the swamp when the flood comes, who’s fault is that?

QUESTIONS ABOUT CREATION

When God created the heavens, some other things are there also: darkness, the deep, waters. Did these things come along with the creation, or was there darkness before there was an earth? Before there was a heaven or earth was there nothing? Or was this the place where, in the course of the spiritual dimension, God set the physical dimension to run - - as a new thing? Spiritual always, physical in time. God is everlasting but the creation had a start.

The earth was without form and void, was it empty? Does this mean there were no geologic features (lakes, mountains, seas) - - or does it mean the earth somehow did not coagulative (into a solid physical sphere)?

Where was the deep? On the earth? Outer space? God created light and saw that it was good. Did God "see" anything before there was light. “Seeing” is a tricky concept when thinking of God because we are physical and need eyes to see other things. We have the sense of sight. Once we see them, we have the beginning of an understating of them. This is different from “seeing” in the sense of “understanding”. Here the verb, “to see”, is used as a means to convey to us, who are physical and finite, something which is also finite, but began at some point in the infinite.

If darkness was upon the face of the deep, where was it not? Were there other places that darkness was not upon? If there were such places, what was upon them? (not light because light came after darkness).

God divided the light from the darkness (implying that light and darkness were mixed together). When he did, ". . . the evening in the morning were the first day". This seems to be the start of time. Apparently, God was not satisfied with darkness and water alone because he did not "see" that they, were good. When God created light, he "saw" that it was good.

We as created beings can not know apart from God’s description what precisely occurred at the creation because we were not there before day one. No one was. We have only God’s description to us. Else we can make stuff up like, "Everything came from nothing and gradually established order upon itself to end up as people, who say confidently, 'Everything came from nothing' ".

I SAID I NEVER WENT TO ART SCHOOL

On Facebook I showed a painting I recently did in a previous Facebook post where I said I never went to art school. Upon thinking about that I thought, in fact, I did have some art training. My High School was broad enough to offer art classes and I took one. After high school I was heavily into photography and read all sorts of photography magazines. Somewhere, somehow, I took a photography class which allowed me the use of a fully equipped darkroom. I watch many painting shows on PBS which provide instruction.  And I did take that Bob Ross class I mentioned in a previous Facebook post.

For some reason I always liked to draw. I progressed in skill because I did reasonably well and no one in by family discouraged me. I don't know if this was a gift from God, or because anyone can do it if they practice enough. But we all must remember: no one person will be a copy of another, all have different motor skills and all see the world differently. Some may be like Picasso, some may be like Grandma Moses. But all are different, all are individual. No one else can be like you.

So, I did come to know different aspects of art which would have been taught at Art School like perspective and composition and selection of subject, if I had gone to Art School.

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION 2020

I heard that someone said after the recent presidential debate, “I will not vote for either of them.” Why would you not want to place your influence behind the better of what seems to you two bad options? Why do you not want to influence the future in a way that, if not positive, at least is not so damaging? Not voting means you are allowing others, who like the one you most dislike, to have your vote.

You don’t like either candidate. You think one is directing your ship into the rocks while the other is directing your ship onto a sandy beach. But you will not do anything to avoid the rocks. In effect you are ignoring the destruction of your ship.

People died so you could vote the way you wanted. People died to protect you from those who would prevent you from voting. By not voting you shun thousands of people who have lived and died for you to have a safe place, a safe country, to live.

If you protest by not voting, who’s going to know about your protest? There is nothing to show for it. You could vote for an Independent candidate if there’s one running. I suppose your vote could be seen then. But realize an Independent candidate will not win and you will have lost your influence.

UNDERSTANDING TONGUES

One of the purposes of 1 Cor 14 is to describe a responsible use of unknown tongues.

An "unknown tongue" or “speaking in tongues” is speaking via the Spirit in a language unknown to the hearers. This is not merely a foreign language; it is a language unknown to humans. Someone during a church meeting is impressed by to Spirit to "speak in tongues" and most, if not all, do not know what is being said. "Speaking in tongues" is often a point of confusion and contention among Christians.

Verse 14:6 prefers the use of these types of speech to unknown tongues: Revelation, the definition or explanation of a truth from God; Knowledge, the expansion in understanding of the revelation; and Prophecy.

1 Cor 14:3 defines Prophecy as: Edification, the result of revelation and knowledge, Exhortation, the urging to use the revelation and knowledge; and Consolation, the direction and comfort we should obtain from using revelation and knowledge.

Notice this is different from how many usually define Prophecy: a speech that predicts the future.

1 Corinthians 14 (NASB)
3. But one who prophesies speaks to men for edification and exhortation and consolation. 4. One who speaks in a tongue edifies himself; but one who prophesies edifies the church . . . 6. But now, brethren, if I come to you speaking in tongues, what will I profit you unless I speak to you either by way of revelation or of knowledge or of prophecy or of teaching . . . 9. So also you, unless you utter by the tongue speech that is clear, how will it be known what is spoken? For you will be speaking into the air.

ANT WORK

Proverbs 6:8
The Ant provides her food in summer and gathers her food in the harvest.

As you think of it, farmers are like ants and almost all people on the planet need farmers. To make this provision means they have taken forethought to assure food is always present for use. It is there for use in the summer when no other crops are available because the winter’s supply is almost totally gone, and the new supply is presently growing. There will be no food available until the harvest, when the crops ripen and are ready. This means there must be plans to store part of the harvest to eat over the winter and through the sowing and growing season until the next harvest. This has to be done for all future harvests. Additionally, he must gather and protect the seed for planting, and the crops as they grow. He must keep his harvest tools prepared. There is a controlled rate of consumption and a cyclic rate of harvest he must match together. He must be acutely aware, have plans, and follow the plans.

Most all of us need farmers. They grow not only enough for them, but for us too. We don’t even have to think about seed and soil and machinery and tools; we just buy our food whenever we want it, any season we want it. Those unfortunate of us who are homeless still need farmers. Convicted criminals in jail need farmers.

Most of us are not farmers. Very few of us are hunters and gatherers. Let’s face it, if we had to farm, or hunt, or gather, we would starve.

WHERE IS THAT SILVER LINNING?

I sometimes struggle with negative thinking in the morning when I wake up. It is a task to stop such thoughts and to think better things. The other morning as this happened I repeated Psalm 23 over to myself. “beside still waters”, “will not fear even in the valley of death”, “my cup runs over”, “ your rod and staff comforts me”, “Goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life”.

Maybe God lets us have these negative times so we can fight against them and build up our resolve and character. The Holy Sprit might be warning, “These are bad thoughts.” We should respond, “These ARE bad, and I will push them out. I will think this other, more positive and constructive thought.” We should think of what is a different, constructive side of this thought. We need to analyze what is wrong about it, but also need to reach for what other thought is contrasting and right. There is always a "silver lining", there is always the "sunny side of the street". There is always something positive.

“Yes, though I walk through the valley of death I will fear no evil.” “Why are you cast down, oh my soul, and why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, he is your hope.

SOME THINGS THAT RESTART

Everything begins in Genesis when God created the universe as we know it. But many things began again, and some things changed after the flood in Genesis chapter nine. Here are a few of the things:

V1: Every beast of earth had to replenish the earth from those that came from the ark.
V2: The control of man was established (or reinstated?) over the animals, birds, fish and insects.
V3: Every animal and plant given to man for food (as modified by clean/unclean dietary laws).
V4: Men are not to eat blood or bloody meat.
V5,6: Capital punishment is instituted.
V7: Man is to multiply and populate the earth.
Vs 8-17: God established the covenant of the rainbow: There will never again be a catastrophic, world-wide flood.

WHAT DO WE DO TO TRAIN OUR CHILDREN SPIRITUALLY?

This is a re-post of a blog I did in 2016, but I think it's worth repeating.

We do the formal things people usually associate with spiritual people: We read directly from the Bible. We did not use devotional books though some, if using the Bible as a direct source, may be worthwhile. We Pray for guidance, protection, and provision from God and for the well being of others. We "Talk of these things while [we walk] in the way", we speak using the concepts we have learned from the Scriptures.

It's very important to be spiritual by example. What does it mean to be Spiritual, how do we know if someone is spiritual? We see what such people teach, they do good work, they witness (they tell others of the existence and providence of God and specially of Jesus.) They care for others. They seek God by reading the Bible, praying, having fellowship with other believers.

We train our children by telling them what good character is. To demonstrate to us they have learned, we make them tell us what a good character is. We make them show good character through their speaking and actions. We encourage them to do good works by telling them what good works are, and by doing good works ourselves.

We endeavor to be good examples because what we talk about and do, the children hear and see. We let them see by letting the Bible show us. After all, how do you know what the Standards are unless you read them? We let the Church show us and let others show us.

THINKING OF TRINITY

In John 3 Nicodemus has trouble comprehending the nature of God as we sometimes do. He is coming to Jesus from the teaching “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD”. (Deu_6:4) He definitely would not expect to be standing before, and speaking directly to, God himself. He is questioning who he perceives to be an ordinary man, though a healer, worker of miracles and a radical teacher. Jesus tells him bluntly he must be "born again", a term that is strange to him. He is thinking of natural childbirth. Jesus explains men must be born of water (natural childbirth) AND spirit. He is using natural things to explain spiritual things. Through verses 10 to 21 He tells Nicodemus how men are born again, and Jesus' mission on earth.

We can empathize with Nicodemus. It is hard to conceive of God’s omnipresence except by the Spirit of God. Many invent their own conceptions of God such like the Hindu concept as "all is in God" or "God is in all". But that seems to reduce God to an ether-like force or a huge conglomerate of things: something without a personal will or even a personality.

But we know, because God tells us:
- The Father is the creator, the one who sits on the throne of heaven.
- The Son, he that came in a body to save us.
- The Spirit, the Comforter, the one who lives in all God’s people.

INDESTRUCTABLE

2 Corinthians 4 speaks of the light that shins in us because of our inward truth which is the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Because this light is in us, we manifest the truth - the news of Jesus. This light cannot be seen by those who are lost – who do not know Jesus; the light is hidden form them. They cannot see it, nor will they be able to see it until they realize that they are sinners, that Jesus died for their sins, that he rose again, and will come again for those who have the inward light. Once they believe this, they too will share our light. How will they know if we do not tell them?

The light that shines is the Word of God – Jesus – in whom we trust as our sufficient sacrifice for sin. Some do not accept this and reject it; they have no light. We have the light in earthen vessels, that is to say: presently earth-bound bodies, so that the power of God can shine through us.

But this does not mean we do not have problems. For we are . . .
- - Troubled yet not distressed.
- - Perplexed yet not in despair (because we have hope of eternity).
- - Persecuted yet not forsaken (because we know God is for us).
- - Cast down yet not destroyed (because they cannot destroy what god will preserve).
- - Delivered to death yet the life of Jesus is manifest in our faith (God is working in us to show others and to bring them to the truth).

Let us share our indestructability with those who will perish.

ARE THEY AMOUNG US

Jude 11
“Woe onto them for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the way of Balaam for reward, and perished after the gainsaying of Core.”

Cane - - The sacrifices of works rather than the sacrifice of blood.

Balaam - - Seeking to become rich in the doing of God's work.

Core - - Putting forward themselves to take the place of God's appointed leaders.

The book of Jude says to rebuke the wrongdoers in the church. Are such among us today? Do we see people expecting rewards for works? Do we see some seeking (and becoming) rich? Do we see some push aside others for their own eminence?

TURNING GOOD INTO BAD

2 Corinthians 2
Paul writes, in verse 11 that, “no advantage would be taken of us by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his devices”. Is seems he is speaking of a situation about a person who is being over-punished. Paul might have set this punishment in motion via another earlier letter. The Corinthians went about to chastise this fellow. But Paul says in verse 6, “Sufficient for such a one is this punishment which was inflicted by the majority.” It seems they were continuing to do so. Paul is saying ,”enough”. Overdoing it might cause the man to be overwhelmed; now the time has come to forgive and comfort (verse 7).

The Corinthians were doing a good thing in correcting wrong but once the correction was sufficient Satan took over by pushing them to continue the correction. Satan was encouraging something that was good initially to be run past its useful time so that it becomes bad.

We must be careful we do not overextend our righteous activity so that what was good in us (and against Satan) then becomes bad in us (and against God). We should act properly for God's cause. We must be careful that no advantage would be taken of us by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his devices.

NOT SITUATIONAL ETHICS

2 Corinthians 1:17

When we purpose things within ourselves it is  "yes" or  "no".  But the purposes or promises of God are  "yes" 

We make up our minds according to the occasion and decide  "yes" or  "no" about something.  It may be "yes" today but tomorrow the situation may change and it might be "no".  

The promises of God are not made up to fit the situation but are decided beforehand.  The situation agrees with what God has decreed, or it does not.  For us as humans what is today "yes" may well be "no" tomorrow.  We waffle and change our minds about the situation.  We should make up our minds using God's everlasting principles as our base, and not with facts that change from day to day, or minute to minute.  

For example, “Thou shalt not kill” never changes nor does the punishment for it, namely, the death of the killer.  This applies to premeditated murder.

A man kills another man with a brick.  Today we say he should be hanged:  "yes".  Tomorrow we look at his background:  the brick thrower’s disadvantaged upbringing, he was beaten and abused all his life, he was half crazed with drugs; we reconsider and say he should not be hanged:  "no".  God's law does not change, period.  If a man purposely sheds another man's blood, by the hand of other men must the killer’s blood be shed.  

God allows leniency for situations such as accidents, self-defense and wartime battles.  But he is not lenient about when the situation includes malice or forethought.

LAW MAKES SIN

One Corinthians 15 verse 56
 "the sting of death is sin; The strength of sin is the law". 

Why is the strength of sin the law?  Because if there were no law, every action would be the same; there would effectively be no sin.  The law identifies what sin is.  Theoretically if you do not know what sin is, you cannot do sin.  Take the example of a woman who dresses immodestly for the purpose of raising lust in men:  if it were not a sin to incite sin in others  and modest dress were not required, then low necklines, split shirts, high skirts, in tight clothes would not be sin.  But if there is a dress code, then women who do not follow it are sinning (and the authorities are sinning if they allow it).  The Bible says that, “. . . women adorn themselves in modest apparel . . .” (1Tim 2:9)  Men are to: "Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body." (1Col 6:18)

Don't want to be told what to wear or not wear?  Do away with the dress code.  We might also say do away with  "thou shalt not commit adultery"  and  "he that fornicates is joined unto a harlot sins against their own body"

We can ignore God's laws and his wishes, but we cannot appeal them nor strike them from the law. 

GREAT ENLIGHTENMENT

I pray that most of the population of the United States will at least know they have a choice to make about Jesus Christ.  I want them to know that God sent Jesus to earth to die in their place for their sins, that he rose from the dead and ascended to heaven, and that if they believe that they have an eternal place with him in heaven, and if they do not they will be eternally separated from God (otherwise known as “Hell”).  A person becomes what we call “saved” by acknowledging what Jesus did for them, and asking Jesus to forgive and accept them

But I am not praying for “renewal” or “revival” (though these are certainly worthy to pray for).  What I want I would term “Transformation” or “Enlightenment”.  For me someone who is “renewed” or “revived” is already saved but has fallen short lately in the way he is behaving or thinking.  He needs to have his thinking and acting “renewed” to his saved state.  He needs to have his salvation revived as if being resuscitated in an operating room.

So I pray for a Great Transformation, a Great Enlightenment for the people of the United States.

TOUNGUES OR NOT

One Corinthians 14
For all that people argue about speaking in tongues, this chapter minimizes tongues in favor of prophecy and understanding.  It does not prohibit them.  The greater need is for understanding. 

Although I have never spoken in tongues, I suppose they could be for blessing and giving of thanks as suggested in verses 16 and 17.  But any hearers of the speaking would not understand, there is no edification.  Perhaps even the speaker does not himself understand, as is said in verse 14.  For all that desire to speak in tongues we are supposed to desire more earnestly to edify the church.

Here is how clear speech comes (see verse 6):
- -  Revelation - what is revealed by God.
- -  Knowledge - what we know from reading the Bible and our experience
- -  Prophesying - expounding God's will as he has told it to do you.
- -  Doctrine - explaining our own understanding of God's will from Scriptures and life. 

DOORS

I recently made paintings of the front and back doors of the Bedford, Massachusetts house I grew up in.

When I was done, I made an analysis of how these doors were used and who used them.  The front door was only for formal occasions and was rarely used.  The side door was for general family use and for the reception of visitors and businesspeople.  There was a cellar door too but only used for family activities.

I thought of other doors of houses in which I have lived and their uses.  Our house in Gotha, Florida had three doors and we used all of them.  The front for Family but also for receiving people.  The side was for in-and-out access to the car and for play.  The back door was for in-and-out and play but also to dispose of trash.  Our current house in Windermere, Florida has two doors.  The front is for reception and general in-and-out.  The back is for family arrival and departure and access to garage.

You can think of our souls having doors too.  There is a front door, which might be only for formal users.  There might be a back door which may be hidden from most people.  It might be only for family, or it might be closed but for a very few special people.  It might be heavily guarded and never used by anyone but yourself.  Or there might be many doors for other specialized users.

There is another door that is always present, the one God uses.  You might not think of it as a door because what and who we are always open to God.  God has this right to his door because he is the owner of the house.  Most of the time he allows us to live thinking no one sees us, no one knows.  But God always sees, and always knows. 

God will never break  your doors down; He gives you a choice of how you will live.  There will be a time, however, when God repossesses your house and you will meet him face-to-face.  We do not have the capacity to be fully ready for that day, there will always be some embarrassing mess we should have cleaned up.  That is why we need to accept Jesus as our redeemer and trust He will keep his word:  that if we believe he died in our place for our sins and rose again and He will receive us into everlasting live with Him.  That is a door we can jointly own with God and will never be shut to us.

MANAGEMENT GIFTS

1 Corinthians 12, a lesson in management

This speaks of diversity of gifts but same spirit, differences of administrations but same Lord, diversity of operations but the same God.  We can say that the Father represents operation, the Son represents administration and the Holy Ghost represents gifts.

Manifestation of the spirit can be in every (Christian) man or woman:
1.   word of wisdom
2.   word of knowledge
3.   faith
4.   healing
5.   working of miracles
6.   prophecy
7.   discerning of spirits
8.   tongues
9.   interpretation of tongues

This is how a whole company or organization could be organized:
   Operations - what we should do, where we should go
   Administration - how we shall accomplish what the operator directs
   Gifts - providing the things and services needed for getting the job done. 

God is the manager and the supplier of all we need, and the equipment with which to do it.  But he does it in a more meaningful and life-giving way than merely producing automobiles or frozen dinners.  He supplies the reasons for being and the abilities to “do life”, to turn our existence into value.

SMALL FROM ALTITUDE

When I was working, I flew to many places in the country.  As I looked down upon the earth from 35,000 feet the things of men were so small that only the largest buildings were obvious.  It would have been difficult to pick out a semi-truck when looking at superhighways.  Indeed, I never saw one.  If a person were to stand in the middle of an intersection, and you were told where to look, you could not possibly see him.  From the sky as the eye wanders over the rest of the earth you realize how insignificant the person would seem.  The smallness of that person, that place, becomes astounding.  Yet through such a means God saved the world.  Think of God, Jesus, being in one human body. 

The vantage point of the plane demonstrates a small part of the expanse of Gods comprehension.  He comprehends what the human eye in the plane sees, and much more.  Think of this single man Jesus who, while in the flesh, has the vantage point of the plane.  ". . . and the Word became flesh and dwelt  among men."

TREE ON CLIFF

Here is a painting I did titled “Tree on Cliff”.  The idea came from a photograph of an actual tree I saw in a business trip to Washington state.  It looks precarious does it not?  It looks to be hanging onto the cliff.  What are roots holding onto?  Are they deep enough?  Can they hold on?

This reminds me of the parable of the seed sower.  As you remember, the sower spreads the seed into four types of places:  the wayside where birds ate them up immediately; the stony soil where the seeds could not last long;  the soil among weeds where the competition and distractions were too great;  and the good soil where the plants became well established and fruitful.

The good soil represents Jesus.  He provides source of nourishment and a place to firmly anchor roots.  The good soil results in much fruit.

The actual tree was smaller than the one the one shown in this painting.  Other trees in the photograph had actually started to fall.

What does the picture make you think of?  Will this tree eventually fall into the Water?  If on rocky soil it will fall over into the water.  If it is on good soil the tree will remain anchored and fruitful no matter how steep the cliff is.  Jesus is good soil and allows us to hold in any sort of difficulty.

Are you planted in good soil?

WAITING TO EAT

1 Corinthians 11:21
I wonder if this verse is saying the Corinthians have church communion suppers at which people eat when they arrive without waiting to eat all together?  Therefore there are times when one is full (drunken) and others (who have not yet eaten) are hungry.  This shows a selfishness of one Christian not caring enough for another to eat together.   "I’ll do what I do for me and let the others catch up".  This type of thinking is only of yourself and what you can get or do for yourself.  But we should be discerning of the body of the Lord Jesus when eating together as a Christian group.  Everything should be done in a decent order as the Bible says.  God, through Paul, sets up many ways of prayer proper Christian action,
- - Manners
- - The Lord supper
- - Tongues
- - Who to fellowship with

In verse 33 he instructs to "tarry one for another". 

Some who are rich can well afford to wait, but do not.  Some who are poor, who really need the food and arrive at the supper late, may not get fed because all is gone.  Many others are not even thinking of the Lord at all. 

HOW TO TELL THE TRUTH

Romans 16;17
There are those who cause divisions and offenses (stumbling blocks) because they proclaim something else other than the doctrine we have learned.  We might use the example of Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, or Catholics (who go too far into Mary). 

What we have left us is doctrine, a tradition of how scripture should be interpreted.  We see how it has been interpreted by men.  But is this tradition right?  Men sometimes change things as it has been passed from one to another.  Has it changed over the years? 

Much of what we know about God is how he has been passed to us through other men.  God works in man: they write about it.  Scripture is not just a collection of men's writings about, it is a reporting of what God did in their presence.  How close were these men to actual events?  Were they eyewitnesses?  Had they lived within 200 years after Christ lived?  There have been many such writings.  Out of all available writings who decided which were good and which were not? 

In the development history of a Bible translation I am reading I look for:
- -  Is it a translation or a paraphrase?
- -  Was it done by a group of people, or was it done by just one person?
- -  Was the group qualified to know the meaning and intent of the original languages?
- -  Has the translation lasted for a long enough time for it to become known as trustworthy?

Here is why I think these points are important:
- -  A translation is an attempt to recreate in the target language what was said in the original languages.  A paraphrase is an author’s opinion about what a translation is trying to say.  He is not working with original languages.
- -  A translation by a group of people must me more reliable than a translation by a single person for one team member can test the others for accuracy and intent of the original language.
- -  Each member of the translation team must have expertise in the language being translated.
- -  A translation that has been in existence for a length of time has given opportunity for mistakes to surface and be corrected.

I will trust a translation for these reasons listed above.  For years I have read the King James Version and lately I have been reading the New American Standard Version.  When I was first saved I acquired and read a New English Version.

Except for being careful about the origins of a particular version, the version does not matter nearly as much as actually reading it.  It is important to read the Bible - - and not just once in your lifetime.  If it is God’s Word to us it should be important enough to read many times. 

I read from the Bible every day.

THE CHURCH DISTRACTING

Today (Sunday 7 June) I listened to two church services: one given via YouTube from the church I go to, and the other via YouTube from a large church in Orlando.  There are reasons I go to one church and not to the other.  I will talk of the large church first.

I will not attend the large church because of the music.  It is too LOUD.  Loudness does not make music more worshipful; it just makes it uncomfortable.  To enhance the uncomfortable music, they use lighting.  They use spots, moving beams, and streaming visual effects.  To make these effects more visible they use smoke.  This is all staged as a rock concert.  For example, they use different stage levels for the musicians.  All the vocalists stand in front in a line.

All this seems to me to be showmanship.  They look excited, they jump, they yell the lyrics.  Are they truly excited or is it just a stage act?  What is the difference between this and a rock concert?  This extends too to the announcements which seems to be hyped with faked excitement.

They also transition between the different segments with videos.  Is all this technology necessary for an effective worship?  Must this be done to reach today’s people?  Will people not listen unless they are entertained?

Yet the actual preaching was well done.  It had good content and was well delivered.  All the stuff that went before (music, etc.) was a barrier to the content.  Yet at the end of the preaching, while transitioning out to what followed, there was a keyboard droning behind the words muddling the speech.  Why is that necessary?

The church where we attend is small, so it is possible to know everyone.  The music is done by various people, not the same group every Sunday.  The preaching is not always by the pastor but is sometimes done by others.  The preaching today, for example, was well done by another, and very helpful.  This type of freedom presents ministry opportunities to every member of the congregation.

At the big church ONLY the pro singers and musicians and ONLY the pastoral staff present the worship.

WHEN COMFORT IS DANGEROUS

John 21
The disciples had been fishing all night and had nothing to show.  While standing on the shore Jesus tells them to cast the net on the right side.  They had already been fishing all night with no success.  Now this stranger yells out to them to “Cast the net on the other side.”  (As yet they had not recognized Jesus.)  This was more work after a whole night’s work, what could this guy know, but they did it anyway.  Now they caught so many the net broke.  Sometimes it is not good to give in to comfort when a little more work needs to be done.

Jesus warned Peter that he would be persecuted when he was old; that he would, “be carried whither he would not.”  This is after Peter had been told three times to feed the flock.  Did he have to be told because it would be hard to keep himself focused on his work for God during persecution?  When the persecutors would be seeking after him too “carry him” he would have the remembrance of “feed my lambs, feed my flock” to keep him applied to godly work, rather than saving his own skin - - or worse:  giving up some godliness for the sake of comfort and peace.

STILL WORKING ON DEVOTIONS

John 20
At 76 years old I’m still not one for a strong personal devotional time period, i.e. reading by myself.  Yet all these married years, and a little before, 47 years in all, I have had family devotions, a daily Bible reading.  This small thing has been great in my life .  As God said, it has been the mustard seed that, though a tiny seed, grew to “a great tree with branches that the fouls of the air may nest in.”

Jesus, by the sacrifice, asks how important is your [job, animals, wealth, self-esteem, power, etc.] to you?  More important than me?  He answers the question of how important are we to him:  we are important enough for him to give his only begotten son, important enough for him to die himself for us, important enough for him to give his spirit to dwell in us. 

One thing I have confidence about:  I KNOW what God thinks about a lot of things.  Some would take me aside as being a “Christian Bigot”.  They would say, “How can you be so arrogant as to say you KNOW what God thinks?”  I would say to them, “What principles are a guide for your life?  Any?  Some favorite author or politician?  Some particular group you belong to?”  From reading the Bible I know right from wrong, good from bad, profitable from unprofitable.  Each time I read the Bible I get yet more from it.  I have been a better man to the world because of it – even to those who would say it's  “just another book”.

PUT THE BALL IN SOMEONE ELSE’S COURT

[[ To continue some thinking from a previous blog of 4 April 2020 .  .  . ]]
John 19

Pilate cared nothing for Jesus life; that mattered not at all to him.  If Pilot could quickly get Jesus to admit he was King he could get a quick, easy judgment.  He brought him out before the people in “Kings clothing” saying, "behold your King".  But he had no evidence, only the troublesome fact that Jesus had said he was the son of God.  Now pilot was sucked into Jewish religious matters.  He tried to release him until the Jews said that Jesus made himself King in the place of Caesar.  That was enough to let pilot off the hook and get Jesus crucified.  In all this, the fact that an innocent man might die had no effect on Pilot’s thinking.  He didn't want to do anything that would embroil him in legal wrangling for months to come.  He wanted out of the Jewish religious arguments.  Let it not be said that Pilot upheld a Jewish religious discrimination suit in a Roman court.  That was a career-stopper.

BUILDING BY LIZZIE

My wife has a blog called BUILDING BY LIZZIE. I own the domain name "Submissionisnotsilence.com" and intended to re-direct all clicks to it to the "Bulding by..." site.  But I mistakenly directed it to "submissionisnotsilence.blogspot.com"  Try the BUILDING BY LIZZIE site, it's more current. 

STORE TROUBLE IN PRISON OR DEATH ROW

John 18
At the time of his trial no one handling Jesus cared anything about the truth - they all had other purposes for dealing with him.  The Pharisees wanted him dead while Pilot just wanted this troublesome incident out of the way. 

Pilot wanted Jesus off his back.  Pilot couldn't get the Jews to handle him.  The Jews wanted him crucified but under Roman rule they had no authority for capital punishment.  They had to contrive some way to get it done by the Romans.  So, they told Pilot he was claiming to be a king.  This required a death sentence – no one could be king but Caesar.  Taking up the Jews’ line he started by trying to get Jesus to admit he was a King.  He was trying to get Him to admit some guilt, to accuse himself.  “So, you’re a king then,” said Pilot.  “You’re the one saying that,” said Jesus.  Pilot could not get Jesus to incriminate himself.  Finally he made a public statement that he found no guilt in Jesus.  This apparently riled the people enough to make for a possible riot.  Now a good Roman Governor can not have riots on his record so he released Jesus to the executioners. 

CORONA VIRUS, SHAMONA VIRUS!

We have lived a long time: have seen many things, experienced many things, and learned many things  We have had the pleasure of seeing our grown children themselves diligently raising a family.  We have had the pleasure of reading the Bible together aloud every day for all our married life, so we know what’s in there  We have benefited from the fellowship of many believers and non-believers  Both of us have been close to death’s door yet have been granted more engagement with life.  Neither of us were afraid at those times since we knew what lay on the other side, and that that place is better than this 

So, Corona Virus, Shamona Virus!  God’s plans for us on this side the door or the other are excellent plans.  And they are the best possible plans  Jer_29:11  "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end"  

Yet the young among us (meaning those less that fifty years old) may have trouble thinking this way.  I understand the anxiety of being absent from their friends and family.  What will happen to them?  It is sometimes hard to really trust that what God may do is for the best.  How can hardship be for the best?  Some questions and doubts will never be answered until we are walking with Jesus in heaven.

WHERE IS ZERO ON THE TIMELINE

John 17:6
This appears a very "Presbyterian" section because it speaks of some people in the world who are the Father’s, and some who are not.  “. . . The men which thou gavest me out of the world:  thine they are . . .”  And yet it does not say for sure there are only certain prescribed ones who will believe.  The ones who are "the father's" may as well be the father's because they exercised their will to believe.  God predestined the possibility for men to make a choice for him.  The ones who did became the “predestined”. 

God is the god of all time.  He exists in the past, present and future.  For him time is just another created thing that is controlled by him.   How else can we explain the witness of the Angel in Revelation saying, “. . . there will be time no more . . .”

I can somewhat comprehend the pre knowledge of God in this manner: I am 75 years old.  I know that at 75 that I have been in the Navy, have married, have had children, and worked for the US government.  If I was like God, and time was something I created, I would exist also at the time I was born as well as the time period we call “Now”.  Time is like a dot moving along a line.  Creatures subject to time must stay on the dot, but God stands back a distance from the line and can see the dot, the beginning and the end of the line, and eternity before and after.  So if I were like God, I could stand back from the line, while the dot was at 75 years, and see clearly the spot on the line at zero years and know that I would be in the future: be in the Navy, get married, have children, and work for the US government.  If I were like God, I could proclaim all this to the zero year spot on the line.  It would sound to the 0-year-old created me like predestination.  It actually would be a recitation from an all-knowing source, who lives outside our boundaries of time, of the things I had done as a result of the choices I made.

SMALL OR LARGE STEPS

Psalm 18:29 says,  "For by thee I have run through a troop; and by my God have I leaped over a wall".  (Second Samuel 22:30 says the same thing.)  Here the writer has done impossible things having been empowered by God.  Although possibly literal, I believe the actions described could be figurative.  He has accomplished a seeming impossible task as if he had just “run through a troop”.  These tasks are framed as if done in a very short time, perhaps instantaneous.  They could also have taken an extended period.  Was it be done suddenly on impulse, or was it done through many small steps over a long period of time?  Will we look back one day and see we have "run through a troop" because of our consistent, diligent steps?  The language of leap suggests one understanding, one instantaneous act, not a prolonged period.  Yet we cannot play the piano instantly.  We do not learn a new language instantly.  When we can play the piano or speak a new language we can truly say,  "I have come through a troop and have leaped over a wall".

Small. steps or large steps; walking or leaps; instants or long-term effort; we will need all these efforts during our lives.

ACCEPTING GOD’S SERVICE

In John 13:8 Jesus’ response to Peter when Peter did not want him to wash his feet was, "If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me."  Jesus was saying it is not on an option about accepting God’s service to us.  We must accept his personally serving us.  Even though we know him to be God  - -  greater than any person  - -  we must allow him to serve us, even as we would one who is much lower than us.  So serving others is not an activity we should avoid. Because we are to be like him, we should do as he does.

Right after talking about serving, Jesus tells us, “The servant is not greater than his Lord”.  Why does he say this?  Is it that we might get thinking, after serving one another, how noble and giving we are?  Perhaps more noble and giving than anyone else in the whole world ever was?  Perhaps more a servant than God ever knew how to be?

Maybe it means something else.  Maybe if we are God's children we do not have to do the things the ungodly have to do.  They are servants to sin; they have to serve  - -  that's their place.  But not us, we are God's children.  There are many good works that on the surface appear to be "service works" and therefore we do not have to do them.  But we can never serve as God has served:  allowing himself to be killed by a misbehaving creation so that they could live.  We must be like him.  We are made to serve, not to be served.

HE KNOWS WHO DONE IT

Psalms 9:12 says how God . . . “maketh inquisition for blood, he remembereth them: he forgetteth not the cry of the humble.”  God does not forget those that have been cut down in cold blood.  Perhaps this means more than the physically murdered; perhaps it also stands for those who have been bloodied spiritually.  God will make inquisition - there will be a judgment day. 

GOD DOES’NT JUST PULL THE TIRGGER

John 12
God's shows great loving kindness in that Jesus did not just eliminate those who sought his life.  Maybe some of these very ones would later come to believe - as when Paul encountered the vision on the road to Damascus.  And perhaps he waits for some to come "come out of the closet", such as the timid in verses 42 and 43:  "Nevertheless many even of the rulers believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they were not confessing Him, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue;  for they loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God."

God is very patient.  When you look at the world it's obvious it's a created place.  It's obvious that men are the highest creatures because they, as God said, have Dominion.  And it's obvious that without God men are very mean to each other.  God hasn’t pulled the trigger yet, but one day he will.

BUT HE WASN’T THERE

John 11

He was not there when Lazarus died.  When Jesus came to raise Lazarus from the dead much is made of "if you had been here Lazarus would not have died".  By both sisters, by the people, and by Jesus himself when he said for the disciples sakes he was glad he was not here there (see verse 15).  This was for the intent that they should believe.  When he raised Lazarus, it was for the people to see and believe.  He said, “. . . that they may believe that thou [the Father] hast sent me".  This is another miracle done to demonstrate that Jesus is the son of God.  Some believed and some did not.  Why did they not believe?  Because they did not accept that his power was coming from God.  In the perceiving of him they always were biased for some other way of thinking. 

Why was he not there?  To allow Lazarus to die.  If Jesus had been there, a sick man – not a dead man - would have been healed.  Some would have said "he was sick and just got well, he would have recovered even if Jesus were not there."  By rising him from the dead he demonstrated miraculous power. 

Many judged Jesus’ deeds, what he did, by what they already had in their minds.  They had preconceptions and biases.  I suppose we always judge things by the knowledge, history and experience we have in our minds.  This the Pharisees did - and did it wrong.  We know this because they came out against the son of God. 

We must be careful how we judge others.  On one hand we don't want to use wrong concepts, like the Pharisees.  On the other hand, "my sheep hear my voice , and I know them, and they follow Me"

SOME SEE AND HEAR, SOME DON’T

In John 8 Jesus heals a blind man and tells him to go the pool of Siloam and wash.  The blind man was healed and received sight, for he was one who listened for God, did what God said, and allowed his perceptions to be controlled by what God asked, not what tradition demanded.  He was healed because he listened to Jesus.  Later he was brought to the Pharisees who questioned him about the miracle.  The pharisees tossed  the blind man out of the synagogue because he would not back away from what he had just experienced and agree Jesus was a sinner.

The Pharisees were the ones who were really blind because they judged what happened through their tradition.  They saw what they wanted.  They could not recognize a miracle because it occurred in a way that broke some of their arbitrary rules.

Jesus told us the sheep know his voice.  He is the door  -  he is the way people get into the sheepfold.  We know someone is a robber if they come in by any other way than Jesus.  He said, "as the father knows me, even so I know the father".  He lays down his life for the sheep.  He, in the body of flesh, was being wrongly understood and persecuted despite the words he spoke and the miracles he performed.  He suffered the horrible anticipation of his death in every sense that any ordinary man would.  God gives us a world to live in, yet the pharisees of us walk on our own food, pee in our drinking water, and kill the innocent. 

It is God's nature to love and to reach out to his creation.  Who can say that he does not seeing we have food in our teeth and stand by the risen cross of Christ?  There is no way any man can justify himself before God.  God does not stand before us as a cruel or detached or self-serving taskmaster.  He stands as one with an open hand as one who wants a relationship, as one who wants involvement with our lives. 

KNOWING ALL THERE IS

John 8

What wonderful patience and self-control Jesus has.  Here he is, God, and here are these termite Pharisee creatures challenging the words that he says.  They said things like:  “You bear record of yourself, your record is not true.”  “Where is your father?”  "Will he kill himself because he says he’s going to the Father?”  “Are not we correct when we say you are Samaritan and have a devil?”  “Who do you make yourself?”

These are unbelievers, yet he takes the time to answer them.  This shows the nature of God - -suffering the unbelievers while waiting for those who will believe.  Also, he had yet the work on the cross to do.  He says to them “If you were blind you would not have sinned, but now you say 'we see' therefore your sin remains."

Maybe the word "seeing" used here is the way someone understands something.  This is the way the Pharisees understood all about God - this is the way they "saw" it.  If they said inwardly "we do not understand God", they would be "blind" but would have no sin.  But they said "We know all there is to know about God  - we see"  In fact, they did not know all there was, so they were in sin, and blind.  It was a continuing attitude of "I know what there is to know and need nothing more." 

But we should always be willing and open to learn to be changed by God. 

Jesus came to give true understanding of God to those who want it.  But he comes to set aside the ones who claim godliness but do not have it.  The purpose of this is judgment, the division of one from the other.  The division was wide.  How far was the blind man was separated from the Pharisees - the blind man's heart was for God, the Pharisees’ hearts were for the religious establishment, their jobs, the "church", the "right way".

AMISH INTERFERENCE

I read an article somewhere that addressed a local government’s intrusion into a dwelling in an Amish Community.  I don’t recall the specific elements of the contention, but I was concerned with the possibility of harsh government interference, possibly religious persecution, as if some group within the government did not like the Amish and wanted to use the law to punish them.  It’s easy to jump to this conclusion which likely is not the case at all.  Nevertheless, it makes us wary of how much control a government has once  you shut the doors of your house.

A good Government exists, as our constitution says, “by and for the people”.  We know some rules for all citizens are necessary such as:  thou shalt not kill, drive on right side of the road, stop at red lights, and pay taxes.  But an intrusive local, regional, or national government can be harmful to some or all of its citizens.  Two prime examples of obtrusive government systems are Nazism and Stalinist communism.

How much authority do the local and regional governments have over health issues?  How far is the local government's reach into the use and conduct of personal properties under it's jurisdiction?  How retroactive should the local laws and ordinances be as far as controlling existing properties?  Can it force change on long-existing conditions?  If there is no present harm to neighboring properties can it force changes upon the present owner?  Can it force changes before the property can change ownership?  How much responsibility does the new owner acquire for existing conditions once he takes ownership?

There are several issues to be considered.  Without a legal inspection how would government know about any existing harmful conditions?  For example:  does the property harm the health of the residents of the surrounding properties?  Can this harm be scientifically proven?  How about an existing septic system; can the system be scientifically proven to be harmful to adjoining properties?  What if the house uses a cistern; does it affect the health of household?  Does the government have the codified (written) authority to enforce health issues if the cistern can be scientifically proven to be harmful in that individual case?  What if the house is not electrified and must use a hand pump for a shallow well?  Can the government force a change in the water supply arrangement thus forcing electrification of the residence?

NOT EVERYONE GOES TO SEMINARY

From John 7
Jesus is plainly, openly, among his people doing miracles.  Yet there is confusion among them.  Some believed and some did not.  The anti-Jesus ones had these arguments:  "the Messiah is supposed to come from Bethlehem, but this guy comes from Nazareth.  This guy has never been to seminary."  We have doubts about things because we do not know all there is to know, as some of Jesus’ contemporaries did not know that Jesus was actually born in Bethlehem.  Jesus had just said "if any man will do his [God’s] will, be shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God, or whether I, speak of myself."  The one that does God's will knows that Jesus is of God. 

The Pharisees wanted the people to believe as they believed, and they used themselves as the example and rationale:  they said, "Have any of us (the Pharisees) believed on him?  We have all gone to seminary and are smart and understand what those who have not gone to seminary cannot understand.  To know if you are correct in your thinking look at what the seminary grads are thinking . . . but this people, who do not know the law (because they have not gone to seminary), are cursed."

We think we are not so smug as the Pharisees, but before we go too far along that line of reasoning let us look inward to make sure we are not ourselves being arrogant.  Do you read the Bible? so did they.  They achieved some of their knowledge from listening to others, and so have you.  Among the Pharisees were good men, like Nicodemus.  In our inward parts may lurk a little pharisee; beware.

WHY DID HE SHOW UP WEAK?

John 7
Jesus brothers were at odds with him.  They somehow didn't like Jesus hiding himself from the Jews.  Did they know they wanted to kill him?  If the brothers knew they did not seem to care for Jesus’ life. 

Verses 2 through 13 show what a turmoil was around Jesus.  Many were seeking his harm.  Why would our Lord not come in power - - rather than this way:  being hated by the rulers and despised by the very family he chose to come into?  Why not just come in lightning and power and destroy all who oppose him and whip the rest into submission?  I think it’s because, if he came that way, most would die immediately; many others would die a short while later, most would be miserable with stripes on their backs, and only a few would be somewhat content; even if walking on eggshells. 

What does God want?  His will was that all should not perish, but all should come to the knowledge of the truth.  He came not to give stripes - - but by his stripes are we healed.  This is an example of God's just love and loving kindness - - to come with meekness and an offer of eternal salvation. 

This shows the range of confusion among the people; from resentment to acceptance.  If he came back the same way in our age the same would happen again, except our Lord will not come back the same way again. 

WEALTH AND POVERTY

Some thoughts from Proverbs 15

The wealth of the rich enables them to build strong cities, which protect them, which enable them to keep, and get more wealth.  The poverty of the poor leaves them nothing to work with, or to use to defend against destruction.  This causes them to lose even more of what they might have, which makes them poorer.  This must be why God speaks so much of the strong uplifting the week and the rich feeding the poor – and we don’t have to be really strong or really rich to do this. 

"He that hides hatred with lying lips and he that speaks slander is a fool".  The Hater hates who or what he is talking about but tells others something entirely different.  The listener does not know where he really stands.  The Slanderer openly despises the one he talks about, and everyone knows it.  The similarity between the two is in the heart, where there is hatred.  They both seek to damage.  The hatred and destruction make them fools; they are not God-like. 

"The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for want of wisdom".  The lips of the righteous feed.  This must mean what comes out of his lips  - his words of wisdom.  What he says goes out (feeds) the ears of many.  They feed because they are hopeful, helpful, beneficial words others can use in their lives.  But there are some, the fools, that will neither speak nor hear wisdom. 

GOING FOR THE MIRICLES

In John 6 we read how Jesus used the miracles to show who he was, but the people viewed the miracles because of what they could get from them.  In verse 26 he tells the people they sought him, ". . . not because they saw the miracles, but because they did eat of the loves and were filled."  They wanted the things that miracles produced, they did not think of the one who produced the miracles.  Jesus wants us to seek the one who does the miracles, not the things we get from the miracles.  The people persist in this way, in verse 31 they say, "He [Moses] gave them bread from heaven to eat."  They have given credit for the mana to Moses.  Jesus corrects them right away saying that the Father gave them the mana.  Jesus says the bread that comes from heaven and gives life to the world is what is important.  They were thinking of their own physical benefits:  the bread they ate and the healing they got.

We must be glad for the maker of the miracles, not only for the benefits, the "freebies", we get from the miracles.  When the stormy waters are calmed (John 6:21) we must willingly receive Jesus into our boat being glad for the person who came to us, and not concerned so much with the walking on the water.  We should think, "I am glad you came to my boat.  I'm glad to have you here with me because I like you, you are pleasant to have around.  I like to be with you.  By the way, it was neat how you walked on the water". 

Jesus did the miracles to convince people of truth.  Some, however, saw only the benefits of the miracles to themselves, ignoring God and his part in their lives.  How crass  are we when we ignore what God does in our daily lives?  How many times do we overlook God's involvement, not to speak of being thankless?  Maybe we should keep a "God hunt" book by our bed and write in it every night. 

I PLAYED PIANO ONCE

Apparently, I was once able to play the piano.  After three years of practicing, using lead sheets with chord symbols, I became a passable accompanist.  I could fake it in almost any key for uncomplicated songs.  I had begun to pick out the melody with chords.  Many times I wondered if this is was a thing I could ever do.  Would it ever be worth the effort?  Often I did it only because I thought it might be something God wanted.  I knew I never would advance if I did not take the little steps.  I did not actually know that God wanted me to do music, but I didn’t think he wanted to keep me from doing it.  The little practice times over the three years added up to a useful capability. 

This showed me I need to press through the failure.  I need to turn my mind from a failure  onto the goal, whatever it may be.  I need to overcome, overcome, overcome.  Overcoming is not pretty and glamorous, it does not even feel virtuous or victorious at the time.  However, holding onto memories of failures or incomplete successes will drain the strength out of your overcoming effort.  What might not seem to be significant, or full of a lot of value, is further diminished by the discouragement of remembered failure.  It’s a deception to focus on the allusion of the unimportance of an overcoming task.  We want our buckets filled with a sweeping, dramatic, Hollywood style push.  We want it filled now, not tomorrow, not next week, but now.  But most of the time our buckets are filled one drop at a time.  No drops, no filling.

In the years since I have not continued to fill the bucket.  I have not laid hands on a keyboard.  I don’t remember the key signatures anymore.  I think it would take considerable effort to get back to the minimal skill I once had.  Now what am I doing?  I am remembering my failure of keeping to the little steps, and it has drained my overcoming effort.  Will I ever play the piano again?

FLY TRAP

There are some things that people write on advertisements that appear as you are perusing the web.  They are meant to grab you away from what you are doing to the marvelous idea of what they are offering.  I treat such attempts with scorn, do you?  You know them by the phrases they use such as:

 - - (blank) don’t want you to know. . .
 - - (blank) is hiding this (blank) . . .
 - - Guys are obsessed with (blank)
 - - must see (blank)
 - - (blank) can’t do without (blank) . . .
 - - what (blank) won’t tell you . . .

If you fall into this trap you find yourself in a very, very long description of the process or object that will promise to disclose what it is further on in the article.  You must read further to get to the point.  When you get there you find that, although this item is "free", it costs money; or it might require you to disclose personal information.  You have fallen into a Venus fly trap.  You should have known better.

RATTING OUT JESUS

Why did the man at the pool of Bethesda rat (tattle, blab, spill the beans) on Jesus (see John 5:15)?  Was he afraid of the Pharisees that they would punish him for carrying his bed roll?  Did the think, "Boy the Pharisees nearly burned me because I was carrying the bed; I'd better tell them where he is; if they find out I knew and didn't tell they'll make it tough for me." 

Was he loyal to the Pharisees?  Did he want to identify the man who encouraged breaking the Sabbath?  Did he think, "These guys and I are brothers.  I'll tell them because they want to know.  I’ll get myself approval points if I tell them."  

Did he tell them because Jesus spoke of him as a sinner?  (Jesus told him, "go and sin no more lest a worst thing come onto thee.")  The man might have thought, "How dare he assume I am a sinner?  This guy is saying, 'This thing happened to you because you sinned, sin no more because a worse thing will happen to you.’  I’ll fix him, I’ll go tell the Pharisees where he is.  I know they are looking for him; they’ll make his life miserable once they find him."

Knowing that Jesus is God and knows all things, why did he pick this man out for healing?  Are we ever like him?

WOMAN AT THE WELL

Jesus was sitting at a well in Samaria and asked for a drink from woman who came there.  She was surprised that a Jewish man would even speak to her.  She questioned back in an attitude that appeared to be cynical.  Why would not she be cynical?  Apparently, no man treated her well, and here was a man, and an enemy of Samaritans at that, that was asking a favor of her. 

I wonder if we ourselves question Jesus in cynicism? 

He said to the woman, "If you knew who it was that asked you for water, you would ask of him living water". 

Sometimes we wonder, as the Samaritan might have wondered, “what on earth is he talking about?” 

She said, "The well is deep  -  how is it possible for you to get water out, I do not see a bucket?  Beside this, I do not understand the principles of this ‘living water’ ". 

Do we fully understand the immense life Jesus has given to us?  How can we get something with what appears to be no effort?

She says, "Our father Jacob dug this well; we have our own established means of religion." 

Jesus says, "He that drinks this well water will thirst again, the water I give is living water will be a well springing up in him and he shall never thirst again,  Your religion will leave you thirsty, the living water I give will be in you at all times, it does not depend on religion." 

If we were there like the woman we would probably say, "yeah, right, prove it, give me the quote living water unquote."

Jesus says "bring your husband" 

At this point her whole attitude changes when she admits she has no husband (in fact she has churned through five husbands).  She is no longer cynical; she wants to get answers from Jesus.  She earnestly asks,  "Our tradition says worship this way, you say another; What about that?" 

He says, "The time is coming when there will be no politically correct place to worship.  We will worship in spirit and in truth.  The true worshippers worship the Father in spirit and in truth; Those are the kind of worshippers the father seeks.  The way to worship God is in spirit and in truth.

She said, "We know the end times are coming when all things will be put right, Christ will have returned and he will answer all our questions." 

Jesus said, "I am here now, and I am speaking to you now."

Isn’t that what we want too?  Just skip to the end of it all, let’s do this heaven thing now.  Do we really realize that Jesus is with us at this very moment?  He is with us even when things are falling in the toilet all around us?  He is with us, though disappointed, when we are acting badly?  How far, really, are we from the Samaritan woman?

HAVING THE RIGHT CLOTHES

I had a dream that I went onto Navy ship for the purpose of serving on one more cruise.  Even though I was a Radioman I went to the Radar Shack to ask them if they had a particular kind of food.  They were eating and offered what they had, but I refused.  I was aware that my not eating what they offered might offend them.  I left the ship to get some things from shore, but the ship was getting underway and I was caught.  I realized I didn’t have adequate uniforms.  The ones I had were old and too small. 

If I were to spiritualize this dream, I might say I did not have the uniforms because I was not like them; they were Radarmen and I was a Radioman; I was a Christian while many others were not.  I was of the Lord and they were not.  I feared because my uniforms were not adequate to their purposes.  Many worldly people reject the “dress” of Christians; it gets in the way of how they conduct their life.  And we as Christians are aware our life is not like theirs and we are not liked because of it.  Sometimes we wish to blend in – to wear the “proper” uniform, one like theirs.  Let’s face it, sometimes we have not kept our uniforms well. 

I pray, “Lord please make my clothing to be just what you want it to be.  I want the uniform of the Lord’s Navy.  I want a garment for the Wedding Supper of The Lamb.  You want me to take care of my earthy uniform, please show me how.” 

A cruse on a Navy ship is temporary, it lasts for a definite period or time.  Time in the Navy lasts from enlistment to discharge.  Whatever earthly job you have lasts for a short time.  Life in the flesh is also a definite period of time.  The flesh-life starts at conception and ends when the body dies.  Yet life goes on eternally after the flesh dies.

I want to be clothed with godliness.  I want to show up in Heaven with the proper uniform.  I don't want earthly food I want the Bread of Life. 

GETTING IMMERSED

Jesus says that if a man is not born of water and the spirit he cannot enter the Kingdom of God.  This compares with first John that speaks of the blood, water, and spirit.  We are born naturally - the blood.  We  must also have the water and spirit. 

I wonder if the water is the baptism - some sort of public confession of Christ.  Some say it must be religious ceremony, an actual baptism rite, as when one is baptized in a church, or at least at a gathering of Christians for the purpose of baptism.  Perhaps it might be the immersion into the Christian life after one is saved. 

The Holy Spirit lighted on Jesus when he was baptized.  Some say the baptism event is when we get the Holy Spirit.  Yet Ephesians 1:13 says, "after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise. . . "  In other words "believe" and "receive" happen at the same time.  It seems we believe the gospel, get saved and are indwelt with the Holy Spirit simultaneously. 

We want grand things, but the truth is we must receive simple things.  When most of us are told the gospel and believe it is through a simple voice communication, not through some fantastic, electrically-crackling incident.  Only the shepherds got to see the chorus of Angels when they were given the good news.  We get to hear it when someone comes up and buttonholes us on the street.  Many times the messenger is not attractive.  We have to accept what we are given.  If we do not believe when men speak to us of earthly things, how shall we believe if they were to speak of heavenly things? 

So here we have the blood, water and spirit.  We all have the blood part down; do you have the water and spirit part down too?

WISDOM OR SCOFFING

People must make an effort to get knowledge and wisdom, and, they have to make an effort not to.  Here are some key works related to the acquisition of wisdom:  hearing, perception, reception, attaining, understanding.  This seems to be a progression to me.  You first hear an idea, you perceive what it means, you receive it (or refuse it), then you accrue the benefits of it; all the steps of which lead to wisdom.

Proverbs tells us Wisdom cries out to both the Simple and the Scorner.  If they were to turn, she would pour out her spirit and make known her words.  The Simple person is unaware of basic facts, does not know choices, or have comprehension.  He may not be capable of more complex mental activities.  The Scorner looks upon Wisdom’s ways as inferior and is more than willing to say so.  If the Simple and Scorner will turn (steer away from the evil way of doing things), Wisdom will make them capable of understanding.  The spirit of Wisdom would enable them to think the way the Wisdom thinks.  Wise concepts will be revealed for them .  They will be able to see as they never have seen before, as when in a dark room and the light has been turned on.  What a wonderful thing this is:  for the Simple to become wise and capable and for this Scorner to have a humble, hopeful view of things.  But it takes the effort of turning

Some people choose not to have wisdom for they hate inconvenient truth and they do not choose the fear of the Lord.  They would have none of Wisdom’s counsel.  They despise all the reproofs.  The turning away of the Simple will slay them.  Those that choose prosperity over wisdom (and obedience and godliness) are choosing destruction.  It takes effort to be wise and godly and it takes effort not to be wise and godly.  If we are going spend our energy, let us make the effort that profits to godliness and results in wisdom.  All such things are decisions easy to make that can have profound, if not eternal, consequences.  The only difficulty comes in choosing a discipline over a want, the uncomfortable truth over a comfortable lie.

WAYS TO AVOID

From Proverbs 31:
This is the advice of a mother -- "give not your strength to women or your ways to that which destroys Kings" .  Interesting that a mother’s advice to a man she cares for, one she wants to give the inside track to, is to avoid other women.  I think that "unknown women" are different from "mother",  "wife", "sister":  he should not spend his money, time and influence for women that are not his family or ones that cannot be trusted. 

The thrust of a man's life should not be women.  I think it would not be even his wife.  He should not view his  life’s task as living for his wife.  His purpose is to serve his God.  In the service of his God he cares for his wife and raises an educates his children.  In the exercise of serving God, a man serves others:  like wife and children.  God requires it.

These should be the ways of Kings:
- - Be not we drunk
- - Open the mouth for the dumb that are appointed to destruction
- - Open the mouth in order to judge righteously
- - Plead the cause of the poor and needy

The function of government is not to distribute services and wealth but to:
- - Step in as an arbitrator and an advocate for those with little wealth, low mental capability, in desperate situations. 
- - Rightly apply an administer God’s and human law. 
- - To decide between one and the other . 
- - Have a heart for, and be an advocate for, those that cannot speak in that are scheduled to be pushed aside. 

WHO WRITES THE AGENDA?

Many of the People I worked with took laptop computers home with them so they could remotely communicate with the Home Office.  I didn’t want to do that.  To me work was work and home was home.  When there were work flurries at work there did not have to be flurries at home.  I did not want work to grab hold of me and manipulate my thinking, my actions, my free time and specially my family time.

But it’s different with God.  Wherever I am I can always communicate with God.  I know God wants me to call back to the Home Office.  God is concerned with my thinking and my actions.  He always wants influence over me.  While worldly work would attempt overload me with things to think about and things to do, God gives me only what is the most needful and important at the time.  Even the church and brother Christians would seek to impress their agendas on me. 

I believe God is the best agenda writer.  He knows what items to put on, what to leave off, what to emphasize, how to order them and what to revisit.  Beyond all this, He knows how our "meetings" fit and interplay with everyone else’s meetings.  I want the grace to know what God’s agenda is, and how best to prosecute it. 

God’s "emails" and "meetings"  promote and build his Kingdom, which is where I want to live.  I wish to be a "repairer of the breech restorer of paths to walk in"  God’s Kingdom is good for everybody.

WRITING IN A CORNER

In a growing family sometimes it's hard to withdraw to a place quiet enough to write anything about God, or to hear from God.  Yet within all the noise, interaction, chaos and chores is my greatest blessing.  In my life I have had lively talented people:  my wife and children.  Although sometimes we chafed each other, we were not so empty of character so as to have small personalities. 

I thank God for hands that can write with some degree of expression.  We must learn to appreciate action when we would rather be quiet and be inactive.  I must learn to view the cacophony through some other lens.  In need to observe and learn from the process of life and activity rather than being walled away from it. 

MAN-MADE ORGANIZATIONS

From my journal back in 1997 I apparently joined a union at work.  I don’t remember this and can only say I did now because of the Journal entry.  I wrote the following:

I have been noticing a lot lately that God says that he will be found by them that seek for him.  But he will refuse those who forsake his ways.  This has been occurring many places in Second Chronicles.  There are some, like Asa, who do well at first by seeking the Lord, yet do poorly later by seeking men's help.  Lord if I did wrong by joining the union I am sorry.  You delivered king Asa from the Midianites, over a million men.  You could have delivered Asa without the help of the Syrians.  (Asa might have even complicated your plans for the use of Israel against the Syrians).  But Asa sought the help of man.  Lord I know you can deliver me from work, the union, or any organization of men.

I also know you can use any man or organization in my life to deliver or prosper me.  I ask that you establish two things (for you are the one who establishes - no matter what any man does): I ask for the grace to always seek your will, first an above all.  And I ask that the efforts and fruits of my life be to the establishing of your Kingdom in the world and the one to come. 

I also ask that my answers to any man be those which can only be used for the building of your Kingdom and the destruction of all that is against it.

MAKING WORK PLEASANT

When I was working, I had these thoughts:

My job is a pleasant place because it gives me challenges, new things to do, and allows me freedom to invent or discover the solutions to those challenges.  But I often feel distressed when something new comes up.  I even delay action on these things for worrying over them.  Maybe that's why I spend so much time in the software. 

Perhaps it would be better to view these challenges as part of the pleasant place, as a game I have entered, something to play seriously, but not get upset about.  If I succeed (win) fine, if I lose, so what, I still have my eternal Salvation.  But how does this really play in?  What about the scripture, "Whatsoever thou find to do, do it with all thy might"?  Should I not consider it a game, should I care about it more deeply? 

God looks on how we play the game in the same way we listened to our young children at a piano recital.  We go and sit in the front row, smile at the performance and invariably clinch our teeth.  What is important is that the child played, did the best he could.  We lasted through sour notes and hoped for the pure ones later.  In the same way God waits while we perform the recital of life. 

The outcome of national or business affairs will have little or no effect on the Kingdom of God.  If I lose at work it is no big deal, but if I win it is no big deal either.  It is how I live in the Kingdom today that matters - how I play the game.  God will control the outcome of the game as he always has.  We just control which side it is we play on:  God’s side, or the world's side. 

One driven by the wind is motivated from the outside .  One driven by God is driven from the inside. 

AVOIDING FOLLY

A mocker resents correction, he will not consult the wise,  A mocker is one who ridicules, one who points out by criticism or cynicism what he perceives to be faults.  There was a lot of mockery at my old workplace.  I set a task for myself to keep from indulging in mockery, to keep myself from sharing in fault finding.  “The discerning heart seeks knowledge but the mouth of the fool feeds on folly"  In keeping myself from the mockery and complaining mentioned above, I had to look to the essential good of every task I did.  I thought I should write down the "essential purpose" of every task and "silver lining" of every apparent bad situation.

“A hot-tempered man stirs up dissension, but a patient man calms a quarrel".  When People were getting angry, I needed to be patient.  I needed to be the one to find the solution, the one who can find the solution to both sides, if I could.

“Folly delights the man who lacks judgment, but a man of understanding keeps a straight course.”  Sometimes I found myself in this situation when I was working a software problem.  For example I might be using Access to make a report.  I wanted the software to do a task, like copy in some fields from a spreadsheet rather than typing them in myself.  I would spend a whole day in folly (trying to make the software do the work) rather than keeping a straight course simply typing the report I needed while giving up on the rabbit trail of the software solution.  In that situation I was delighting myself in folly.  Working the software was more fun than the actual task I was using it for.  I could have honored God by honoring my work by sticking to the task I started with, saying the course. 

In spite of the above, what a wonderful privilege God had given me.  At work I received challenging tasks, new ones all the time.  I was given a free hand about how to achieve them.  I could even go about them in a wrong way, as when I spent too much time on the software.  I was given wonderful and interesting tools to work with.  I traveled to many interesting places in the country.  We did real work, useful work, national defense work, not merely entertainment work.

WHAT TO WRITE DOWN

Instead of the exercise of - or maybe In addition to - writing down, "I will conquer my daydreaming", perhaps I should write something like, "I will control my thinking and my activity so that I spend my effort toward things productive, toward the Kingdom of Heaven".  A corollary of that is, "I will not waste my time on entertainment which is harmful to the Kingdom of God, and therefore harmful to me".

1 Corinthians 9:27  But I keep under my body [and my thoughts], and bring it [them] into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

2 Corinthians 10:5  Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

Philippians 4:8  Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

1 Timothy 4:15  Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all.

Joshua 24:15  . . . but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

Sometimes I feel I am in a dangerous, dry and thirsty land.  I ask the Lord to please deliver me.  Please create in me something where now there is nothing.  God is the one who creates something from nothing.