DOES IT MEAN WHAT IT SAYS

I went to a men’s Bible study at a church I once attended where the pastor trotted out his “the primary purpose of the Old Testament is to show Jesus Christ” routine.  I don’t dispute it is A purpose of the Old Testament but I wonder about being the PRIMARY purpose.  It makes it seem that anything else we get out of reading the Old Testament is of lesser value - - value that is inferior.  Therefore any other application we can draw, since it is inferior, can be lightly esteemed or even discarded.  According to this man such applications are more or less worthless.

Why then should we have an Old Testament study if the only answer of worth must be “How does this demonstrate Christ?”

What do I do with a scripture that says, “All Scripture is given for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness”?

So, now that I know (according to this pastor) that the Bible is only about Christ, what good is the rest of it?  All I really have to do is see how it relates to Christ, then close the book and forget about the rest since it is minor anyway.  Once I know the one important fact - - that the writing is somehow showing me about Christ - - what else do I need to know?

If I want to find out about homosexuality I should read contemporary books about homosexuality.  The Bible may define the homosexual act as wrong but, so what, since that is not the main intent of the Scriptures, which is to reveal Christ, not necessarily to teach us what is right and what is wrong.

It it permissible for me to ask of the Bible, “does it mean what it says”?

Here are three statements encountered from that particular Pastor:

Statement 1. “Because the culture today is different from the culture of Biblical times we can think of things differently than what the Scriptures say.”

This depends upon what the overarching intent of the Scripture is.  Although some things are definitely different between past and present cultures, other things are comparable.  The role of family, for example, existed and was important in the past as it is today.  While I may not tend sheep as many in ancient Biblical lands did, I can learn from the role of the shepherd basic, important character traits like faithfulness, watchfulness and diligence.  A problem arises when we try to relieve ourselves from the types of personal and social responsibility that is called for in the Scriptures:  for example a life-long marriage to one person.  Because in this present day culture it is easy and acceptable to get divorced does not mean it is an option to choose because it is convenient.  Because today’s society embraces sexual intercourse between people of the same sex does not relieve us from the prohibition of that activity as expressed in the Bible.

Statement 2. “The primary purpose of the Scriptures is to reveal Christ and other revelations are of lesser importance.”

Of course the revelation of Christ is important - - crucial - - to the eternal life of any person, but to say other lessons that could be learned from the Scriptures are of “lesser” importance seems to be a semantical trick.  We know that knowing Christ is vital, yet we still need to know other things like:  we should not kill, we should not steal, we should not commit adultery, etc.  Clearly we must first breathe to stay alive after which we need to do other things like drink water and eat food.  I can not (or at least I should not) pick up The Book, learn about Christ, and then toss it aside as if it’s all I really need.  There is so much more of inestimable value to be found, if we will but pay attention.

Statement 3. “The context of certain Scriptures eliminate the reader from taking the plain meaning of the text as for himself.”

Without an example of a specific scripture this statement makes no sense.  It seems to me you have to first know the plain text meaning of the words you read.  Then you compare what knowledge you have of the context to the meaning of the text.  From the comparison of the text and context you arrive at a conclusion about the intention of what was written.  Whatever conclusion the reader arrives at has meaning for the reader.  What I think this pastor was really wanting to say is that he only is capable of interpreting the meaning.   The average parishioner must look to him, the seminary graduate, for the correct interpretation.  He once said, "The Holy Spirit teaches your pastor, and your pastor teaches you."  The Pharisees said that too.

SENSES

The Scripture speaks of the “Lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life.”  I notice there is no mention of the “Lust of the ear” or the “Lust of the nose.”  Is this because there is some special property of vision?  Is there some way that this particular sense has more power to be damaging? Is it wired more directly into emotions and passions not being filtered first through the thinking mind?

A nude body is of the eye, but music is of the ear.  You can sexually arouse yourself by seeing images of nudes.  You can even imagine morally damaging visual scenes.  But can not sexually arouse yourself through music absent any visual image.  Today’s options include music videos.  If you heard the music without ever seeing the video could you get the same impressions (thoughts, emotions and feelings) as you could be seeing the video?

You can get impressions through the lyrics of music.  The lyrics can carry sexual messages.  Lyrics can be carried and reinforced by music, but the music does not carry the message.  Music without lyrics can  not carry the visual image.  The song “The Stripper” by itself will not convey the image of a stripper, the listener has to have, if fact, seen a stripper’s performance.  The imagery of the stripper, once seen, can be overlaid on the music in the listener’s mind.

Can the music alone give all people the same visual impression?  I’ll bet not.  I’ll bet ten different people could get ten different visual impressions from a piece of music – even one with lyrics, but if all ten saw a video with the music they would all get the same impression - - that of the videographer, not necessarily of the one who composed the music or wrote the lyrics.

The song, “the Song Remembers When” talks of a song being able to evoke a strong memories of a past event.  But it was an event that had a host of other senses tagged to it - - not the least of which is what was seen when the event occurred.  These are the events inside the head of the listener, not of the song writer. The lyricist has his memories, visual or otherwise, and the listener has his; they are not the same.

CHOICES THAT SEEM PREDESTINED

I don’t hold with the theological doctrine of Predestination.  But there is a reason to find value in the theory of the “Predestination” position - - not as the sole position, but as a balance for the “Free will” or “Decisional” position.

Joseph said to his brothers, “You decided to do evil to me, but God used it for good.”  God had determined that Abraham’s seed would go into Egypt and grow there.  Joseph’s brothers on their own volition decided first to murder Joseph, but then to sell him into slavery.  Although their free choice was for evil, by God’s sovereignty the results of it turned out for good:  God’s good, Joseph’s good, the brothers’ good, Israel’s good, and even our good.

To say God made Joseph’s brothers decide to do murder is to say that he made his creatures do something which is against the nature of God himself.  They must have chosen to do the evil.  God, being good by definition, converted the evil into good.  But God, being in existence at all times (past, present and future), knew before the bad happened that it was going to happen.  He did not preclude the brothers’ bad decision.

We should not be afraid to make choices, or be made to think that our choices have no real meaning or effect because some others are fully persuaded about predestination.  “If God has predetermined things what choice do we have, is there really any choice at all, why bother?”  Because, as Joseph’s brothers did, we have options before us that we can choose.  But we should also know that God has all firmly in his control and in the end his will will work for the good.  And if God has all in control, we can see he will be more than willing to give us the power to accomplish his will.  And if we fail to accomplish his will God will make it come out his way anyway in spite of the mess we make.

If Joseph’s brothers can choose evil, then so can we.  But, as an extension to this, we can also choose good.

At some time we are going to be in a place where we will have to choose - - we will not have the luxury of passing the choice by.

EMOTION CHANGES DNA

I Read an article that said emotions from negative social activity, like being rejected or ignored, actually changes our DNA.  They cause emotional or psychological results that can eventually express as physical results.  I quote a portion of this article:  “Within 40 minutes, they and other researchers have found, these experiences affect the expression of individual genes, determining which parts of our DNA are turned on or off . . . they have found, [these experiences] can change how DNA behaves.”

So we are to believe that emotion changes DNA.  I have been taught that DNA is a chemical structure within a cell.  It is supposed to resemble a helix, a double coil, having rungs like a ladder.  The "rungs" of the ladder are our genes.  The article states our emotions are supposed to change these genes.

I suppose if someone, who I thought liked me now says he hates me, has made my genes change.  How could you know my genes have changed?  How can this be proved? Will a piece of skin be taken from me, frozen, sliced up, dyed and microscopically analyzed to show the changes?  This presupposes a skin sample was taken before the "rejection" so it could be compared to the one taken after the "rejection" that the differences could be observed.  Do I need to take a blood test, will that work? 

Remember, this all takes place within 40 minutes so we can not allow for the possibility that the emotional trauma may have physical manifestations resulting in lack of care for physical maintenance or safety.  Even if we allowed 40 hours could not eating or lack of sleep (resulting from the despondency) change my genes?

This seems absurd to me.  I doubt if sad (or angry, or happy) emotions can express directly as physical gene changes.  I don't believe it has any bearing in truth.  This statement seems to be a contrivance to have something exciting and provocative  to write about

Maybe time and physical / psychological experiments will prove me wrong, but until then I'll file this away in the "Wacco" bin.

WHAT A FAST IS, IS NOT

ACCORDING TO ISIAH 58
According to Isaiah 58 this is what a fast in not:
- - Finding pleasure (we do it to get something that will give us pleasure)
- - Exacting our our labors ( we require God to pay something back for our inconvenience)
- - For strife and debate (we are at odds with someone and want God to take our side against them)
- - Smite with the fist of wickedness (we want harm to come to someone else)
- - Make our voice to be heard on high (we want our will to prevail in the courts of heaven)
- - To afflict our soul (a time to make ourselves uncomfortable, perhaps thinking we deserve it)
- - Bow down the head as a bulrush (it is not good for us to be happy, we must be sad to please God)
- - Spread sackcloth and ashes under us (make a public demonstration of our discomfort)

What a fast is:
- - Loose the bands of wickedness (from ourselves, from other people)
- - Undo the heavy burdens (things that are too difficult for us or others to bear)
- - Let the oppressed go free (we help the oppressed gain freedom, or release ourselves from oppression)
- - Break every yoke (the things that are controlling us or others, the things for which we need to give up control)
- - Deal your bread to the hungry (do with a little less in order to feed some hungry)
- - Bring the cast out poor into your house (give up space, privacy)
- - Cover the naked (do with less clothing so that others can have at least some clothes)
- - Not hide yourself from your own flesh (endure some inconvenience for the aid of your relatives)
- - The yoke (do away with the unhealthy associations where others are bad for you and where you are bad for others)
- - Putting forth the finger (Stop looking at others for blame and ignoring your own, sidestepping responsibility)
- - Speaking vanity (Stop talking so much about things that have no lasting eternal value)
- - Draw out your soul to the hungry (seek for a few opportunities to feed the poor)
- - Satisfy the afflicted soul (rather than than thrusting the non-repentant aside provide spiritual aid for them)

BE NOT SILENT

There is the old saying:  "A woman, a dog and a walnut tree -- the harder you beat them, the better they be.”

My Wife has written a book, Submission Is Not Silence.  I think some people react to the title itself without knowing its content.  Some have said things like “submission is good”, “submission is commanded by the Bible”, “wives submit to your husbands as unto the Lord”  When they stop there, never expanding on what they mean, it becomes obvious they have either have not read, or have not fully read my Wife's book.  She never says submission is bad.  She says some forms of submission as administered by some authorities or some men is oppressive, and that it is not good to be silent about it.

She says it is not good to be silent about or to endure truly oppressive submission.  For example it is not good for a woman to submit to being beaten by a man.  She should speak and tell him it is wrong to beat her when reasoning could accomplish what he wants.  If that did not work she should report him to the authorities.  In this country the authorities view wife-beating as a crime, and it is.

It is obvious certain submission is good, and we all submit much of the time.  We all stop for traffic lights.  We drive (in the USA) on the right side of the road.  We don’t speak in church when the pastor is speaking.  We don’t beat up people because they disagree with us or annoy us. 

Some have said "Submission is in the Bible” inferring anything objecting to absolute submission is to speak against the Bible.  When submission is oppressive and harmful it needs to be opposed.  That’s what World War II was about.  Even God does not force absolute submission; we are all free to say, “There is no God”.  A woman should not remain silent if she has an idea that may be better, and she certainly should not remain silent if she is being abused.  Hence the title of my wife’s book:   Submission Is Not Silence.  If some had read beyond the title page they would have realized that.

The saying may be cute, and it may roll off the tongue, but it’s not true that, "A woman, a dog and a walnut tree -- the harder you beat them, the better they be.”

SEVEN TIMES AROUND

On Memorial Day in 1998 I was trying to replace the rack-and-pinion of an old Oldsmobile.  It was a very frustrating job with many time stoppers, the culmination of which was trying to get the clamp from the steering wheel apparatus back onto the shaft of the rack-and-pinion assembly.  Working until 10 pm that night I remembered all the old Navy language.  During my sleep (which was uncomfortable because of a sore bruised back from laying on the concrete) I had a dream.  In it I saw the clamp slipping easily onto the shaft and two holes matching up.

When I continued the job two days later I started by walking around the car seven times praying.  After a little fiddling I noticed a notch on the side of the shaft which looked as if it was supposed to accommodate the pinch bolt.  I rotated the steering wheel to match this notch and the clamp “fell” onto the shaft just like in the dream.

I think God was speaking to me about this.  I Think he gave me the dream to encourage me and to show me the nature of how the two parts would come together.

When I walked around the car seven times, like Joshua marched around Jericho, I felt silly and I wondered if it was doing any good.  Maybe those marching around Jericho also felt silly and wondered if it was doing any good - - yet the walls fell down, and the clamp fell onto the shaft.

The Bible software I use shows me the phrase “seven times” occurs 33 times:  Gen_33:3, Lev_4:6, Lev_4:17, Lev_8:11, Lev_14:7, Lev_14:16, Lev_14:27, Lev_14:51, Lev_16:14, Lev_16:19, Lev_25:8, Lev_26:18, Lev_26:21, Lev_26:24, Lev_26:28, Num_19:4, Jos_6:4, Jos_6:15, 1Ki_18:43, 2Ki_4:35, 2Ki_5:10, 2Ki_5:14, Psa_12:6, Psa_119:164, Pro_24:16, Dan_3:19, Dan_4:16, Dan_4:23, Dan_4:25, Dan_4:32, Mat_18:21, Mat_18:22, Luk_17:4.

FROM PROMISE TO LAND

Psalm 105 speaks of remembering and rejoicing in what the Lord has done.  It speaks of the progress of the Children of Israel from Abraham’s time to the promised land.  He gave the promise to Abraham, Issac and Jacob.  He preserved Israel in the places where they were and in the places where they were to come.  He sent Joseph before them to prepare a place in Egypt.  He brought them to Egypt and developed them into a great number.  He delivered them from slavery.  He brought them to the promised land. 

Promise, Start, Develop, Transition, Delivery

For Israel these elements applied to:
- - The initial stage (the giving of a promise, beginning of a concept)
- - Start of an undertaking (the founding patriarchs)
- - Development of the undertaking (growth in Egypt)
- - Moving of the undertaking toward its purpose (delivery from slavery)
- - Formalizing and establishing the purpose  (bring into the promised land)

Can we look at broad pictures like this and see comparisons in our own lives and families?

- - The initial stage
- - Start of an undertaking
- - Development of the undertaking
- - Moving of the undertaking toward its purpose
- - Formalizing and establishing the purpose

STANDING AGAINST SCORNING

According to Proverbs 21:11:  “When the scorner is punished the simple is made wise:  and when the wise is instructed he receiveth knowledge.”   A scorner is someone who unjustly speaks words of disgust against someone or something else.  He disapproves.  He belittles.  This is not a healthy situation and it is a good thing to correct it.  The scorner needs to be publicly told his words are damaging and are not helpful.  Apparently when this reproof happens the simple person now perceives the scorning for what it is.  When they make this perception - - that scorning is a damaging activity - - they become wiser than they were.  Once someone becomes wise they can increase in knowledge.

Several things happen when you publicly stand against scorning:  a scorning is stopped, exposed for what it is, and people are instructed toward wisdom.  The scorner is also spotlighted for what he is.

WRITE IT DOWN

Sometimes I think what I write is not worth writing if it is not related to Scripture or somehow addressing my relationship with God.  I am tempted to think that I should not write it. 

Yet my innermost thoughts are open to God and he knows most of them are neither related to Scripture nor to Him.  If my innermost thoughts are open to him then whatever I write is even more open because it is recorded, it takes a solid form - - writing does not vanish like thoughts do.  Whatever I am should be as open to me as it is to God.  In other words, I should be able to remind myself of the ground I have covered.  That written thought might serve as a sort of marker or mile post from which I can determine a correction (or confirmation) of the direction my life is taking.  It won’t do to restrain myself if the restraining holds back my development. 

The writing time would be a problem if it encouraged a direction away from God.  But, even then, having it on paper might make the mistake so obvious that it identifies it as something that should be avoided. 

When I re-read these things later I find important markers that help to direct (or redirect) myself.

OLD PRINCIPLES STILL APPLY

When we have a difficulty or question about Scripture what should we do?  We can ask:  what does the Scripture tell us to do (think, act, etc.), what do we want to do (think, act, etc.), and how are the two different?  Then we can ask:  is there an honest way to resolve the differences?  If there is no honest resolution, what are we gong to change; our ways, or the meaning of the Scripture?  This sort of question can come about when we notice the differences between the culture of Biblical times and our present time.

It is not that we should ignore the cultural setting in which God sets forth his principles, but if God has set forth a principle in one culture, and the principle was true (by definition God’s principles are always true) then it will be true in any other culture or time.  The application of the principle may take different forms between cultures.

We cannot change the principle.  If we do we are saying God wrote an irrelevant book:  we are saying sections of it have gone out of date and have lost their meaning.  Therefore we are effectively saying we can determine on our own, and without God’s input, what is the best way for us to act.  If we throw out part of God’s word, what other parts can we throw out?  Which of God’s principles can we selectively disregard?

We do not throw out any part of Scripture.  We ask God for wisdom to know how his principles apply in our times.

POSITIONING

God has provided a certain position for each of us.  It’s as true for us as it is for the big shots.  In 2 Tim 1 we see this example in Paul the apostle’s case.  His positioning came from God through his family, they served God “. . . from [his] forefathers . . .”  His father served God, his Grandfather served God, his nation served God.  Paul grew up in a family that served God. (v3)  Timothy also had a line of faith starting with his Grandmother Lois. (v5)  While many of us do not have this long family tradition, God still cares for us and gives us a position too.

God has a plan for us, a calling which is not according to our works, but according to his own purpose.  God had this plan in place before we ever started to plan our own lives.  It was in place “. . . before the world began. . . .”  Paul was called to be a preacher, apostle, and teacher of the gentiles. (v11)  Timothy had “. . . that good thing . . .” (v13)  God has given you “a good thing” too.

Do we make plans for ourselves which may not be in accordance with God’s plan?  David  tried, he wanted to build the Temple but God wanted his son, Solomon, to build it instead.  What was God’s reason?  As we see in 1Ch_28:3,  "But God said unto me [David], Thou shalt not build an house for my name, because thou hast been a man of war, and hast shed blood."  Would David pay too much attention to the construction of the building and not to the construction of the nation?  We don’t know.  We know it was not in God’s plan for David.

Some of where we are in life is a result of God’s plan.  The more we have been trying to be sensitive toward God, the more likely we have not disturbed the positioning God has made for us.  Our positioning is close to where it should be.  The more self centered and worldly we have been the more likely we have made the position less effective.

How do we know what God’s plan is for us personally?  By:
- Word of God
- Prayer
- Circumstances
- Other people
- Observation
- Opportunities

SELF-FULFILLING INTRODUCTIONS

I have heard phrases used, particularly contained in PBS programs such as “Nova” or “Front Line”, which I call “self-fulfilling introductions”.  These statements are intended to give an air of established truth to the content that follows them.  The introductory phrases appear to give authority to what comes next, as if to say, “let there be no question about this”.  They provide appearance of a reliable source, albeit an unnamed and unexplained source.  Here are some examples:

 - Research has shown . . .
 - Extraordinary new light indicates . . .
 - Science now knows . . .
 - New evidence has shown . . .
 - There is a new revelation that . . .
 - We now know . . .

One reason for using these phrases may be that the explanation about the nature of the source would be too lengthy to explain in a limited time and would distract from the subject to be presented.  However, there may be other reasons for the self-fulfilling introduction:

- What is to come is really based on theory, not fact.
- The source information does not clearly relate to the presented subject.
- The name of the source might be embarrassing or hard to justify.
- There is really no thorough knowledge about the subject.
- The presentation to follow is intended to argue or favor only one side of an issue that has opposing views.  Example:  Evolution vs. Creation.

Most of the time I like these shows.  If I didn’t like them, I would not watch them.  I do find, however, the pervasive use of the concept of evolution-as-fact annoying.  We must always be careful of what we take for truth and be aware of where it is coming from.  I suggest we modify such self-fulfilling phrases to:


 - Research suggests . . .
 - Extraordinary new light may indicate . . .
 - Science now seems to support . . .
 - New evidence may show . . .
 - There is a new revelation proposing that . . .
 - Some now think . . .

SETTING THE RIGHT COURSE

Consider  2 Tim 3.  These verses written in Scripture centuries ago speak in the current day of some people who are wicked and also are in the church.  It seems to me the list found in these verses can apply equally to the lofty legalist as to the flamboyant charismatic.  It's easy to see the aberrance of some charismatics because they are in the open.  Less apparent are those who have the “form of godliness but deny the power thereof”.  They look good but they aren't good.

When we recognize them we avoid them by our:

- continuing in things learned and assured (proved) (v14)
- learning things having come from good sources (v14)
- life long learning from the Scriptures (v15)

The Scriptures are good for:

- Doctrine  - The teaching of and systematic way of thinking
- Reproof - “You are wrong, stop!  Repent!”
- Correction - “You are going off course.  This is what you must do to correct.”
- Instruction in righteousness – Showing what are the right actions and thoughts

The progression should be as follows:

- First we must know the basic truth – doctrine
- We must stop the wrong activity – reproof
- We must show the way to correct the activity – correction
- We must show the right way to do things – instruction

Here is the Instruction:  2Timothy 3:1 to 7:

"This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.  For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away . . .”

IT’S THE MIDDLEMAN’S JOB

Exo 20:19  “And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.”

The people were distancing themselves from God.

1Sam 8:10-11, 18-20:  “And Samuel told all the words of the Lord unto the people that asked of him a KING.  And he said, This will be the manner of the KING that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots.  And ye shall cry out in that day because of your KING which ye shall have chosen you; and the Lord will not hear you in that day.  Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a KING over us;  That we also may be like all the nations; and that our KING may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles.”  (emphasis added)

When people sought for a king God was displeased with them  They wanted someone to take responsibility of doing the work of governing.  They did not want the responsibility themselves and they apparently did not want to be responsible directly to God.  The government (king) would be the middleman between them and God.  They were distancing themselves from direct relationship with God They wanted to point to the government for the common provision and the common security, they themselves did not want to bother with it.  If there was lawlessness it would be the king’s fault, if there was general immorality it would be the king’s fault.  The king would pay for their health care and for their education.  The king would be responsible for their mental health after earthquakes.

This is a common mark of irresponsibility:  “Let the government do this or that for me . . .”   Or, “It’s not my fault, it’s the government’s fault.”

But people do not want God, they want a king.  “We will not have this man to rule over us . . .” was a cry for distance from their best source of wisdom and strength.

However, God wants each individual within himself to know and obey his law (that is Gods law).  Every man is to know what God’s law is and every man should keep God’s law.  We should do our diligence to hear directly from God.   We can not distance ourselves from responsibility by setting up middlemen.

WHEN IT COMES TO DOUBT

From the first part of Psalm 11 are questions one would ask about raising doubts in a believer (or perhaps it is a question of doubt the believer himself is asking)  The rest of the psalm answers the question (vs 4-7)

We get doubts about what we commonly fear:
- - You should retreat (v1)
- - The wicked are working (v2)
- - They do it in secret, no one sees (v2)
- - If the foundations are destroyed what can the righteous do? (v3)

The answers . . .
- - Got still reigns in heaven (v4)
- - God sees all (v4)
- - God tries everybody, but he hates the wicked (v5)
- - God will punish the wicked (v6)
- - God sees the upright.

GOOD WELLS AND BAD WELLS

From Proverbs 10:32:  “The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, but the mouth of the wicked speaketh frowardness.”  The righteous shows kind consideration when he speaks.  He knows what is acceptable because he has studied the other person and knows something of their state.  He knows how different words would affect him.

The wicked also knows of the other but speaks away from the appropriate answer (froward means away from).  So the wicked shows hurtful consideration, the desire to oppose.

Verse 11:  “The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life, but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked”  A well has an opening from which something must be drawn out.  What good is inside the righteous must be drawn out.  He is not quick with his answers.  When he gives answers they are healthful, as water is healthful.

If there is any healthful thing within the wicked, it is inaccessible because the well is covered.  He does not want to give out health but harm.  Obvious to all who see is the violence that covers his mouth.  It is always on top, always presenting to people.

COURT IS IN SESSION

Psalm 9:7:  “But the Lord shall endure forever:  he hath prepared his throne for judgment.”

I wonder, if man were not sinful would God not have to set up his throne for judgment?  If there were no sin his throne would be needed only for ruling; it would not be needed for discovering sin and pronouncing punishment for the wicked.  But since the wicked exist, God is preparing his throne for a time when they will be brought to account for transgressing his will.  God will outlast any hope of the wicked for covering up, or justifying, or getting past their wicked deeds.  There will be no hope the deeds will be forgotten or overlooked.  From the time a wicked act is performed God’s judgment throne is ready to pronounce a punishment.  Court is in session and the sinner is on the docket.

While the judgment is inevitable we must also remember “. . . the needy shall not always be forgotten:  the expectation of the poor shall not perish forever. . .” as said in v18.  We should consider afresh how we ourselves deserve judgment, but have been excused.  Jesus paid our fines.

TRAINING SPIRITUAL CHILDREN

What do we do to bring up spiritual children?  I think there at least three areas:  Devotions, Training and Example.

Devotions:  When I say devotions I mean reading the Bible as a family, aloud, all together in one place at regular, consistent times.  The Bible is the primary source of our knowledge about who and what and why God is, and what he requires.  There are other means such as at church or Sunday school or TV ministries, but how do you know what they are saying is what the Bible says?  You must read the Bible to know what it says so you can compare it to what the other sources are telling you.  Remember the Bible says, “In the beginning was the Word . . .”

Training:  We can interpret what the Bible is saying to us and our children as we are reading it to them.  We can direct them to other reliable Bible teachers.  We can assure they are among upright, wholesome friends, families and other teachers.  We can oversee what types of media (books, movies, TV, internet, etc.) they consume.  We can encourage them when they demonstrate good character and correct them when they don’t.  We can support them as they engage in activities such as sports, band, theater, etc. and converse with them about their experiences.

Example:  The most effective method is to be a good example.  They will learn as they see us talk among ourselves in the family and with others in public.  They will learn about character as they see our character.  They will learn what is fair and reasonable as they view us being fair and reasonable.  We show them what good works are by doing good works ourselves.  It won’t be so hard to “do as we say” as we ourselves do as we say.  They will learn about giving as they see us giving and as they experience what we give to them.

DRIFTING TRUTH

Proverbs 5:3  “Her mouth [the strange woman] drops as a honeycomb and her mouth is smoother than oil”.  This is how the wisdom of the world sounds, it is sweet and smooth.  It is difficult to overcome because it sounds as if it is good (honey) and it sounds so logical and solid (smoother than oil).  But it is death (v5).  The wisdom of the world is movable (v6).  It has no standard upon which it is based, so it is free to drift in any convenient direction.  When you shine the light of scripture and logic upon it, to show that it is incorrect, it slips aside into avoiding discovery.

The wisdom of the world will cause you to:

-  Give your honor to others (v9) – your sense of worth and dedication will be account to the evolutionists, and not with God’s people or family.

-  Give your years to the cruel (v9) – your time will have vanished among the vitriolic agitators, and not with God’s people or family.

-  Strangers will be filled with your strength (v10) – the materialists will have the effect of your strength and not God’s people or family.

-  Your labors will be in the house of the strangers (v10) – Your labors will be in the house of careerists and not with God’s people or family.

-  Your flesh and body will be consumed – at the end of your life your flesh and body will have been spent for your humanist education, for the vitriolic agitators and wrong-sex proponents, for possessions (many of which will have long since decayed), for your career (which did not further God’s kingdom).

God’s truth does not so shift.

MINING FOR TRUTH

Referring to Proverbs 2:1-5 it seems that it takes a lot of continual effort to get knowledge, understanding and wisdom.  These things don’t come easy and they don’t come quick.  It takes work , and it takes work every day.  You must receive, hide, incline, apply, cry, lift your voice, seek and search.

“Pro 2:1-5  My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; so that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; yea, if thou [cry] after knowledge, and [lift] up thy voice for understanding; if thou [seek] her as silver, and [search] for her as for hid treasures; then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.”

When you seek for silver and search for hid treasure it is not done in five minutes of idle time before watching a video.  To seek you must decide where to go, you must do diligent research.  You have to determine how your search will be funded.  You must actually go there and methodically comb the area inspecting every rock formation.  You must balance your resources while doing it.  It takes time and it takes resources.  You have to spend something to get something.

So it is we have to spend some time in God’s word to get something out of it.  Seeking through the pages of Scripture brings to us understanding, knowledge, wisdom and is to arrive at the conception of right paths, the right way.  Truth will deliver people who find themselves in the wrong paths.

WHEN DOES “CAUSE AND EFFECT” HAPPEN

By looking at Genesis one I wonder if we can make an observation:  All things that appear to have a cause and effect may not have, or may not always have had, a cause/effect relationship.  God first made the light, then he divided it from the darkness, then he named the darkness “night” and the light “day”,  then the evening and the morning were the first day.  It was after that (three days later, on the forth day) that God created the lights (Sun, Moon, stars) and attached them to the day/night cycle(“rule over the day and over the night”).

- -  There was light without a source for it (Sun, stars).

- - There may have been “day and night” without the rotation of the earth.*

- - Things may become associated into cause and effect after they both are brought into existence:  there was light - - then there were sources for the light - - then the sources were made to “rule” over the light.

Might there be other things that seem to be in a cause and effect relationship which really may not be that way?  Were other energies made before the sources for them came into being?

Is it natural for us, in a human sense, to create “energies” before we create the “sources”?

- - Spirit [goes to] Soul?

- - Idea [goes to] Thought?

- - Feeling [goes to] Thought?

*Was all the light, after the division, on one side of the Earth, and the darkness on the other?  Then the earth rotated to achieve day and night?  Was day and night achieved some other way?

DEVELOPING CHARACTER

Pro 14:8  The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way: but the folly of fools is deceit.  - - -  You should understand your way.  You should know and plan for what you are going to do and how and when you are going to do it.

Pro 14:12  There is a way which seems right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.  - - -  Many ways seem good, so in your plans make sure you are going where God wants, and not some other way.  God’s way is always safest.

Pro 14:15  The simple believes every word: but the prudent man looks well to his going.  - - -  Think about the direction you go and be wary of your counselors.  Every word of counsel should be examined and re-examined.  All should contribute to the building of God’s kingdom.

Pro 14:18  The simple inherit folly: but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.  - - -  The simple inherit folly because they have not made any plans.  They get whatever Satan brings their way.  The prudent see their plans unaffected by evil; they get them accomplished.

Pro 14:23  In all labor there is profit: but the talk of the lips tends only to penury.  - - -  Plans are good, but if you only talk or write of them, and never work them, they are useless.  You have to take action on your plans adjusting them along the way.

Character and righteousness do not just happen.  They are built step by step on a daily basis.  They do not exist in us because of some naturally inborn, unchangeable part.  They are not like our body type that has been given us from birth.  When we need them, if we have not been developing them, they will not be there.

GOD’S WORDS THROUGH MEN

We endanger ourselves when we think too much of the men who physically penned the Scriptures.  Biblical critics would tell us the men who wrote the Scriptures were captives of their time.  They ignore the possibility that God could use men to capture the Creator’s timeless truths.  Some would say the present time represents a different culture than the past so we should not apply historical ethical writings to ourselves.  Behind the issue is the assumption that Paul, not God, was the author of these words.  Therefore, some would say, we do not have to accept them as scripture because God did not write them. 

But we know the words on every page of the Bible are inspired by God, they are all his words.  How did the men that God used to choose the canonical scriptures choose this or that letter from Paul as authentic?  Was it not because Paul wrote it and it was very obvious to these men that Paul was God’s man (these men having lived closer to the time Paul actually worked and lived)?  Maybe it was because of who the authors were - - Apostles of or “blood relatives” of the Lord Jesus.

Biblical days were days when public discourse was oral.  Even written words were not dominant for most because the printing press was not yet invented.  All discourse tended to be local.  Yet the fame of Paul was widespread.  His fame, if not a sign of God’s working through Paul, at least it is a sign of the magnitude of his importance.  The words were copied and re-copied.  There had to be something more behind them than simply the letter of a churchman.

It is inspiring that the Bible should come from God as a collection of books written by men because, as God has worked among men in the past for the purpose of inspiring us, so he today works to inspire us in the Church - - by men of the present.  Then God was working in real live people who were doing things among their contemporaries.  They wrote it down as, or soon after, it happened.  If you were there, God was working among people you could have heard with your own ears, or touched. 

Although what churchmen of today write will not be in the Bible, God is working still among the people of the Church.

VITRIOL ON POSTS OR COMMENTS

While viewing a Pro-Trump site I saw some posts and comments that were condescending and acid in their tone.  I was sad to see vitriolic language used by anti-Trump people  I was sadder still to see the vitriolic language used at a pro-Trump site.  Vitriol is a sign of rude, insensitive caustic people who seem to want to do damage.  The language is not a simple expression of disagreement but is a indication of intent to embarrass and harm.  It fails to influence the targeted blogger or poster to either moderate the author’s opinion or lessen his resistance to the ‌commentator‌’s opinion.  It rather fortifies his opposition to the commentator‌’s opinion.

Vitriol is more like a declaration of war than a wish to achieve either an change or to reach a mutual agreement.  Vitriol will cause you to isolate yourself from the ones or the situation you wish to influence.  You will show yourself to be a disrespectful person of low manners and little influence.

Why would any other wish to even hear, let alone be influenced, by a rude, angry person?

To get results it is far better to assume the people reading your words are:  intelligent and can understand your point and might decide to make some change from what they think.  While commenting be courteous and assume they will kind enough to realize you both differ and respect you for sentiments.  Don’t act the opposite way yourself by being discourteous and disrespectful.

IMAGINING

I have been trying to do away with my imaginations.  I wonder if they do not short circuit any good that I might do?  (I imagine it, therefore I have “done” it, therefore I do not really do it.) 

God says, “without vision the people perish.”  Some sort of thinking about what will happen is good.  But I wonder if the way I imagine takes away from positive action.  Certainly the negative imagining is not good for it sets an evil cast upon events which have not yet happened.  Sometime is puts future events in the framework of the familiar - - the way we are used to events happening; yet, they may not actually happen that way.

I think, “men do not want me around” and I launch my imagination off in that direction.  Better for me to say, “I resist that thinking.  God said, ’resist the Devil and he will flee from you, draw neigh to
God and he will draw neigh unto you.’  In the name of Jesus I resist that thought.”

Maybe my mind being so full of imaginations keeps me from hearing from the Spirit of God.

I need to walk “by faith and not by sight”.  While I am doing what faith says, I can observe the results of faith - -  the “sight” part.

What would faith teach me about my relationships with other men?  I’m sure of this:  it’s important to know what God says is right - - as in the Law, Proverbs, parables, etc.

BEING WISE AS A SERPANT

Be careful of your personal information.  I recently read a Washington Post news article about Russian hackers implanting malicious code in a Vermont electrical grid computer system.  In the article it said:  “According to the report by the FBI and DHS, the hackers involved in the Russian operation used fraudulent emails that tricked their recipients into revealing passwords.”  This highlights something I hope you already know:  NEVER, NEVER give your personal information to any request for it to a source you are unsure about.  This applies to emails, phone calls and particularly to requests from the web.

I can’t imagine why you would provide an answer to anyone who wanted to know your password.  Why would they need to know it?  The very concept of “password” implies only you and that one particular entity (and no one else) already know what it is.

NO SOLOISTS

As I was thinking about a computer software problem I realized that I was feeling bad that I could not solve the problem alone.  I remembered that Jesus is called our “Advocate”.  How would you like to represent yourself as your own lawyer before God in Heaven’s courtroom?.  How wonderful That Jesus is our lawyer, our advocate.  Being a man, and not God, there are some things I can not do.  Then I remembered that God says that “in the multitude of counselors there is safety”.   So I should not feel bad to need another to help me solve a problem.

The world is such that if you do not keep pouring energy into your work, it will dissipate into nothing.  We have to keep active to keep anything we value.  Thank God he pours his energy into us.  How could we keep ourselves straight if we did not daily remind ourselves by reading, prayer, fellowship and church about God and his ways?  Even as we are doing that we need his Holy Spirit, and we need our family, friends and work-mates..

MUSINGS ON GENESIS

When God created the heaven some other things were 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 running as a “new thing”:  Spiritual always, physical in time?

The earth was without form and void (empty)?  Does this mean there were no geologic features (lakes, mountains, seas . . .) or does it mean the Earth somehow was not coagulated 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?  God knows everything, of course, but is “seeing” something different?

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 that “. . . the evening and the morning were the first day”.  This seems to be the start of time.

Apparently God was not satisfied with darkness and waters alone because he did not see that they were good, when God created light he saw that it was good; did the three have to be together?

CHURCH SELF-SEEKERS

(Jude 1:11)  “Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.”

Cain:  The sacrifice of works rather than the sacrifice of blood.

Balaam:  Seeking to become rich in the doing of God’s work.

Core:  Pushing himself to usurp the place of God’s appointed leaders. 

Cain and Abel both brought sacrifices to God but God preferred Abel’s offering over Cain’s.  Cain killed Abel in a fit of jealousy; Why?  Perhaps he thought his offering should have been more valuable.  He put more labor in growing crops than raising animals.  He had to plow, sow, reap, transport his produce whereas all Abel had to do was watch his sheep feed themselves and  self-reproduce.  Are we in a figure murdering each other for jealousy over the gifts of another?

Balaam sought riches in the doing of God's work.  We shouldn’t seek reward for doing what is normally expected of us.  We should do God's work because it is right.  We should do God's work for God's profit, not our own.  What are our real reasons for what we do in the church?

Core (and Dathan and Abiram) attempted to take the place of the ones God had already appointed for leadership:  Moses and Aaron.  God positions the ones he wants to be leaders in the church.  We should seek a church position to benefit God's work, not for self status.  Are we seeking a position within the church body for the sake of our status?

We are supposed to rebuke these self-seekers in the Church:  how much does rebuking really happen in the church of today?

ANGRY PASTORS

I once attended a church where it appeared that I made two of the clergy angry. One was older. He never smiled at me or ever gave any indication of welcome, let alone kindness. Once or twice he reached around behind me to smile and welcome another. If I had committed some great offense I was never shown what it was. The other was younger and phoned me up to ask why I had not provided an “Exit Interview”. He seemed quite put out about it. I neither executed any “Membership Document” nor verbally expressed an interest in becoming a “Member”. I thought being a member of the Body of Christ was enough. If there was a contract written, stated or implied I was ignorant of it.

Perhaps I was wrong by being a regular participant in the worship and providing them with a portion of my tithe.

If someone is angry at you, and you both are going to continue in contact, he should tell you what it is you do or say bothers him. And you should do the same. No one can improve from a wrong if they don't know what the wrong is.  Things like that can bother a person for a lifetime.

CHANGING JUDGMENTS

2 Cor 1 (paraphrased):  "When we purpose things within ourselves it is 'yes' or 'no'.  But the purposes (or promises) of God are 'yes' "(v20).  We make up our minds according to an occasion and decide “yes” or “no” about the occasion.  It may be “yes” today, buy tomorrow the situation may change and then become “no”.

The promises of God are not made up to fit the situation but are decided beforehand.  What is “yes” today will be “yes” and not “no” tomorrow.  When we can, we should make up our minds using God’s everlasting principals as our base, and not with facts that change from day to day or minute to minute.

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 is disadvantaged, he was beaten and abused all his life, he was half crazed with drugs, the dead man was an undercover police officer who was wanting to entrap the brick thrower.  Tomorrow we reconsider and say he should not be hanged (“no”).

God’s law does not change.  If a man sheds a man’s blood, by the hand of other men must his blood be shed.   We say, “unless there is a situation such as war, self defense, or by accident (no malice of forethought)”.  Have we instituted mercy into a Biblical concept where there seems to be none?  Yet we notice men of the Bible were not put to death because they killed others in battle, cities of refuge were set aside for people who killed another accidentally.

WORK DIVISIONS

Here is how many companies are organized:
A.  Operations - Decide what Tasks should be done.
B.  Administration -  Decide how to accomplish the tasks: when and where.
C.  Laborers/Craftsmen – Perform the Manufacturing or service

Here is what 1 Corinthians 12 says:
A.  (v4) Diversities of gifts, same spirit – Father, Operations
B.  (v5) Differences of Administrations, same Lord – Son, Administration
C.  (v6) Diversities of Operations, same God – Holy Ghost, Gifts

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

DAILY READING

When I was 50 years old I wrote:

I'm still not one for a strong personal devotional time.  Yet, all these married years, and a little before – 25 (now 53) years in all – I have had the family devotions.  The 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 for the fowls of the air to nest in.  One thing I have confidence about:  I know what God thinks about a lot of things.  Some would whisk me aside as being a “Christian Bigot”;  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?”

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”.

FAST JUDGEMENT

Pilate, otherwise having a peaceful day, was inadvertently sucked into Jewish religious matters.  The Jews had a serious problem with Jesus for which they wanted him executed.  However, the only authority that could legally execute a person was the Roman government.  Pilate tried to kick the ball back into the Jew’s court.  They refused because they wanted Jesus killed and they weren’t allowed.  Now Pilate cared nothing for Jesus’ life, it mattered not at all to him, nor did Jewish religious disputes.  When Jesus was forced back into his lap he tried to quickly get him to admit he was “King of the Jews”.  If he could do that, he could render a quick death penalty judgement:  for no one could be king but Caesar.  He could get no evidence against Jesus except the troublesome fact that Jesus had said he was the “Son of God”.  That wasn’t enough in Roman eyes.  He brought him out before the people in “kings clothing” saying, “Behold your king” but the people said, “We have no king but Caesar.”  Now Pilate was stuck because, in his view, there was only one king, and that was Caesar.  The people knew he could not back away.

He tried to release Jesus until the Jews said that Jesus made himself king in the place of Caesar.  That was enough to let Pilate off the hook and get Jesus crucified for no one could be king but Caesar

The fact that an innocent man might die had no effect on Pilate’s thinking.  He wanted to avoid anything that would embroil hem in consequences for months to come, and in Jerusalem religious matters always have consequences.  He wanted out of a Jewish religious argument.  He did not want to be exposed to a religious discrimination suit by the Jews because of anything he did.  After all, that was a career stopper.

EASY PROCRASTINATION

What comes ahead of time is really important.  Get to bed on time so I can get enough sleep, so I can get up in time, so I can exercise in time, so I can get ready in time so I can read on time, so I can get in to the day on time.  Everything is preceded by something.  Everything I'm doing has something else coming after it.  What I'm doing has been helped or hindered by what I did before.  I can help, or hinder, what I will be doing.  But I don't want to move from one thing to another.  It's like everything has sticky spider webs attached to it.

That's what procrastination is: the sticky spider web of not wanting to change.

Sometimes when I am doing something I am blessed because I can isolate myself in the moment  - I can ignore the spider webs.  I don't agonize about what I did, or didn't do.  I don't fret about what's next.  It's so easy just to stay the same.

But on the other hand, I often don't have the best I could have in the present because of what I've left out of what should have come before.  Also I don't hake the opportunity to set up for what's next, thereby making it easier for myself further on.

At the time of procrastination I could replace my for-the-moment self with a reflective, evaluative and forward looking, planning self.

This would take place at a very time when I don't want to make any changes.  Maybe I feel this way because I'm between two for-the-moment periods.  Since I am for-the-moment, and don't presently have anything to do I feel uncomfortable.  Yet my tendency is always to stay the same.  Changing from one thing to another is something I don't want to do - - I want to stay the course, whatever it is, even if changing the course would make things easier or better.

SCHEDULING A DRY HEAD

A journey of a thousand miles is traveled one inch at a time.  Sometimes we will not move an inch unless we schedule it in.  Sometimes the only reason we travel an inch is because, “it is time”, the schedule says, “do it now”.  At such times we possibly have no vision, no desire, no emotion:  only THE SCHEDULE.  Yet when that happens we can begin to achieve something, perhaps of great value.  In this way the mundane can build the glorious.

Most of the time scheduling is informal, done out of habit or as a need presents itself.  Practical scheduling acquires a bit more formality when we think, “what shall I do today, this week, this month.”  It becomes most formal when we take the time to carefully consider needs, times, other events, personalities and such, and proceed to write out a time line or schedule.  It becomes more formal  as we add more detail. 

As an example:
The need to get out of the rain requires a shelter and a schedule to find or build it.  It rains; we need protection so we either find a cave (if we're lucky) or build a lean-to from a tarp or  branches.  Even if we don't realize it we have to schedule time to erect the shelter.  The schedule may be as simple as:  “Do it now”.  “Do it before it rains”.  “Do it whenever and wherever we can”.

If we want more permanence we might require a cave or a log cabin.  Then we have to schedule time to locate a cave or to clear a site and gather trees.  We must re-arrange our schedule.  We have to set aside hunting for now and find or build the shelter.

For more convenience we might want to add rooms which means we have to schedule gathering yet more lumber, or stones, and setting aside time for the construction.  We would be helpful if we scheduled the drawing of a detailed construction plan.  We would have to rearrange other activities to either build the structure or oversee its construction.  As our use of time allows we schedule time for the acquisition of our amenities such as bringing the bathroom inside.

Most anything that takes repetition requires scheduling.  Important things like Bible reading certainly need scheduling.  Some days scheduling may be the only reason we read the Bible.  Important things, Bible reading, music practice, would never get done unless they are scheduled in, made to have important status.

In this way the mundane can build the glorious.

DETERMINING TRUTH

There seems to be two ways that people approach truth:  some do it inwardly first, and some do it outwardly first.

The ones that first approach truth inwardly make up their mind without outside input (for example:  "There is no God").  Once their truth is determined they take from the outside what supports their version of "truth".  If the outside evidence does not support their “truth” they may ignore, or develop arguments against, what the outside world may suggest.  Then they act toward the outside as if their "truth" is actual fact.

The ones that first approach truth outwardly try to observe in the events outside them that seem to be the truth.  They may wonder, “How does all that I see originate?”  They look at the outside to see what might represent the truth and try to discern what is the truth from those observations.  Then they evaluate what they have inwardly determined as the truth (for example, “There is a God”) to see if it tracks with the outside observation.  They will then act in accordance with this “truth”.

Both these views carry with them two aspects:  an inward and outward acknowledgment or definition of truth.  There is an inward reality of the individual.  This is the subjective reality that exists within the individual.  It is different for each person.  There is also an outward reality of the physical/social world.  This is objective and unchanging, or changes according to unvarying principles and is the same for all people.

One says, “There is no God”, the other says, “There is a God”.  But neither can prove the other wrong.  One can decide inwardly first "there is (or there is no) God and treat the outside world accordingly.  One can make outside observations about the world and conclude from these "there is (or there is no) God.

Seeing the Bible says, "The fool hath said in his heart, 'There is no God' . . ." Which do you think is the safer conclusion as your physical life unceasingly, unremittingly moves toward the grave?

DANGER: TV!

Watching TV may provide little return on investment because:
-- May leave dangerous Hollywood-driven images and opinions upon the mind.
-- Soaks away time that could be better spent on other activities and therefore:
-- Robs us in areas of development we care about.
-- May rob us of sleep we need and therefore:
-- Makes us less effective in our work or business the next day and
-- May injure our health
-- Encourages and expands a pool of discouragement and self deprecation for activities we leave out

MUSIC IN CHURCH

Here are some of my observations about music in church:

Most churches divide their worship into separate times. They have a separate time for music which they call “Worship” music.  There may also be anther separate presentation called "Special" music.  These music performances seem to have been elevated to equal importance to other parts of the service (i.e. equal to, or better than, scripture reading, preaching or prayer).

While purporting to  lead the congregation in music, it resolves to the music being presented as a performance.  There are special performers, a "worship team" on the platform in front of the congregation.  These are the "Stars", the "Personalities".  This presentation has devolved away from being a single Worship Leader in front of a choir leading the congregants in music.  Frequently the style of music  is "Praise Music" exclusively, rarely, if ever using "traditional music" (i.e. hymns).  Often the praise music  lyrics are light on spiritual content.  Some of the songs may only consist of eight or nine words.  They may be oriented toward the needs of the singers as opposed to the will of God. 

For some unfathomable reason praise music needs to be loud music.  Most places we've been the music is too loud.  It is miked up so loud the congregants can not hear themselves sing.  It has become a show you watch and listen to rather than one in which to participate. 

The congregants that want to escape the volume of music must either sit outside during the music time or elect to attend a separate service.  This separate service is often called a "Traditional" service.  In some places the “traditional” service may be held at a non traditional time, i.e. not the 11am hour.  This presents the impression that "traditional" worshipers are of less value than the people who attend the "regular" service.  Sometimes this separate service is a video feed where the congregants  watch a big screen and are separated from the “real” service.  Perhaps music in the video service the may be at a reasonable volume.  This raises the question: if you're going to watch a TV why bother to leave your house to go to church?  Just sit at home and find a preacher who does good preaching and watch him.

My Mother-In-Law used to say, “The Devil often gets into the Church through the choir loft.” These days he gets in through the amplifiers, the sound control booth, and the need in people to be “stars”.

THE PASTOR SAID IT, THAT SETTLES IT

Several years ago I was attending a Men's Bible study at a church.  We were working around the circle when the Pastor got into his “the primary purpose of the Old Testament is to show Jesus Christ” routine.  That makes it seem that anything else we get from reading the Old Testament is of lesser, inferior value.  Therefore any application we can draw can be dispensed with because, after all, that is not the main purpose of the writing.

Why then should we have the study if the only answer of worth will be: “How does this demonstrate Christ?”

Yet “. . . all scripture is given for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.”  Did the others also think this way - - that the Old Testament is of less worth?  So, according to this pastor, I should now know that the Old Testament is only about Christ.  So what good is the rest of it?  I suppose he wanted me to only see how the OT relates to Christ and forget about the rest since it only has minor meaning anyway.  Once I know the one important fact what else do I need to know?

If I want to explore the true ramifications about morality I suppose I should read contemporary books about morality and ignore what the Old Testament says is right or wrong.  But not to worry, according to this pastor, because moral prescriptions of the OT are not to teach us right from wrong; the point of the OT is to show us Jesus Christ.

This pastor also taught, “Your pastor reads and understands the Bible and teaches you what it means.”  I think I can do more than that.  I can read and understand the Bible for myself.  Indeed, I need to read it so I can defend myself form the one-sided incorrect opinion of any man.

BIDDING EXERCISE

What if I, or another person, were to seek to award a “contract” to someone among a group of students that would ask them to do a study.  This study would tell me the probability of a fallen pine tree falling where it lies. I would write up a “Request for Proposal” (RFP) and give it to a class, or to a particular grade level at a school.  The interested students would attend a “Pre Bid Meeting” where I would allow them to see the site where the tree fell.  My RFP would tell them I would award on the basis of merit as opposed to low price.  They would submit their dates on or before a certain time after the RFP meeting.  Their bids would detail their rationale and back-up material of how they reached their conclusion.  The winner would be paid $25.00 for the study plus expenses for developing their study.  The award would not guarantee that the study would ever actually be conducted.  (In fact the whole exercise it just to demonstrate the request-bid-award process.)

EXULTATION AT CALAMITIES

I once saw videos of a group of people dancing and singing because another group suffered a calamity.  Unlike them we should be very careful about assuming calamities are God's judgment upon People.

Calamities can be of two types:  those which God generates (as a tornado), and those which men generate (as in the Twin Towers.)

A “Calamity” is different than a “Judgment”.  Calamity happens to the guilty and innocent alike.  It is more generalized, far reaching, than a judgment.  It seems to cover much more area than a peoples' transgression would warrant.  A calamity is like a tornado destroying a whole town rather than a specific household.

Judgment is what happens to those deserving punishment for wrong-doing.  Judgment is targeted specifically toward the sinners and not the innocent about them.

Feeling of glee for the misfortunes of others is itself a sin.  It is bad, perhaps dangerous, to have happy feelings when something bad happens to someone you do not like.  "... and he that is glad at calamities shall not be unpunished."  (Prov 17:5b)

The Twin Towers were a “Calamity” to us but a “Judgment” to the thugs who perpetrated it.  Under our law and under the international law, what these thugs did was a crime, not a judgment.  What we know is that God will have the ultimate judgment, maybe not at a time we desire, but it will be at the perfect time and it will be a perfect judgment.

We should hope that God's judgment will turn the wicked toward righteousness and that God will get glory from pulling diamonds out of the ashes.

DIFFERENT IMPRESSIONS

The Bible mentions “the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life”.  I notice there is no mention of the “lost of the ear” or “the lust of the nose”.  Is there some stronger aspect of the “lust of the eye”?  Is there some particular way this sense has more power to be damaging?  Is it wired more directly into the thoughts and emotions?.

The naked body is of the eye, but music is of the ear.  You can sexually arouse yourself by seeing or imagining visual scenes.  Can you sexually arouse yourself through music only?  Today's options include music videos.  If you heard the music without ever seeing the video, could you get the same impressions (thoughts, emotions and feelings) as you would while also seeing the video?

The song, “The Song Remembers When”, talks of a song being able to evoke a strong memory of a past event.  In reality that event had a host of other senses tagged to it - - not the least of which is what you saw when the event occurred.

I'll bet ten different people get ten different impressions from a piece of music.  But if all ten saw a video with the music they would all get the same impression - - the vision of the one who made the video (but not necessarily of the one who made the music).

There are events inside the head of the listener that are not the same as the events inside the song writer.

I'M FOR FREEWILL

There is balance between the theories of predestination and freewill.  I am firmly in the freewill camp, yet must be tempered with concepts from the predestination camp.  Consider the following:

Joseph said to his brothers, “You decided to do evil to me, but God used it for good.”  God had decided that Abraham's seed would go into Egypt and grow there. Joseph's brothers, on their own jealous volition, decided to murder Joseph and instead sold him into slavery.  Although their freewill choice was for evil by God's sovereignty the results of it turned out for good - - God's good, Joseph's good, even the brothers' good.

To say God made Joseph's brothers to decide to do murder is to say God made these men do something which is against the God's design for mankind's morality:  “Thou shalt not kill.”  The brothers chose to  do the evil; God did not force them to do evil.  God did not create the brothers intending them to do evil; his intention was they should do good.

God (who by definition is good) converted the evil actions into good.  God, being in existence at all times (that is:  existing in the future to us who are captured only in the present) knew before the bad happened that it was going to happen, and that the happening of it would turn out for the good.

We should not be afraid to make choices, or be made to think that our choices have no real meaning or effect because of the theory that God hard-wired the choices before we were created (as some who are hard-over on the predestination theory would say).  Because, as Joseph's brothers, we have options before us that we can choose.  But we should also know that God has all firmly in his control and in the end his will will work out for good.  And if God has all in control, we can see he will be more than willing to give us the power to accomplish his will.

If Joseph's brothers could choose evil than so can we.  But we can choose to do good.  Sometimes we are going to be in a place where we will have to choose - - we will not have the luxury of passing the choice by.

BIG NAMES NEED BIG MONEY

We went to a large church a while back (I am taking this from a 1998 journal entry).  One of the first things we noticed was they were using a boom TV camera.  This turned me off.  It made me think this is a church that is trying to be like all the other Big-Name T.V. Churches.  Do they worry more about technology than connecting with the Lord?  What proportion of their technology budget do they spend in proportion to the results they expect to reap?  Is this for the pastor who merely wants to be in the same league as the other big-time players?  Aside from shut-ins, does it really reach the people it is supposed to reach?  So $100,000.00 reaches one shut-in; what about the same 100k being spent to print and distribute gospel tracts that reach two people?  How much could go to missions?  Could the money be better spent? 

Arguments that Support “every possible step must be taken” can be softened by noticing that Jesus rested when there were souls to be preached to, souls to be healed.

If any effort is being spent for “look at me” rather than “look at the Lord” that effort is being spent wrong.

You can reach a point when your thinking turns from the numbers you are reaching toward how big and glorious your church is.  When does it turn from looking to the glory of God to looking to the glory of the pastor, the technology, the big-name church?

You know the church is really bent when they resort to computer controlled lighting effects and smoke; it has fallen from being a “church” to being a “show”.  The show needs lights and smoke; what next, mirrors?

THE TROUBLE WITH TIFFS

If I have a tiff with my wife I have trouble either praying or looking to the Scriptures.  When the heavy feelings or depression are upon me I just do not feel the praying or that reading will have value or effect.  Its hard to think, “I need to do this by faith”.  My prayers, I feel, would be insulting to the Lord being prayed from such a dry or angry or faithless personality.  I can not think of where to read in the Bible that would have application.

Perhaps I should start reading somewhere – anywhere:  Psalm of the day, Proverbs, a Gospel.  Maybe I would find the lord talking to me there.  Or maybe the Spirit would lead me somewhere else.  Perhaps then the prayers and answers would come.

WAIT FOR VENGEANCE

Psalm 21 speaks of the king trusting in the Lord and of God's vengeance upon his enemies.  As I was coming back from Jacksonville on a business trip a while ago (1998) I came upon a very severe traffic jam.  The two lanes of traffic were at a crawl.  At various times some people would cheat and come down the right-hand breakdown lane.  I thought, “here are these rude people taking advantage of the rest of us who are trying to be polite to each other and keep order and the law.  These have no concern but for themselves.  They will never receive punishment for their wrong doing that I will see.  I wonder if God even cares to take vengeance on such little things when much worse are happening.”

But when we got to the bridge over Lake Mary the police were pulling these over to the side and giving them tickets.  Yes, these were receiving the vengeance due to them.  Yes, God does care about such things.  Yes, it is worth while to have faith in God, that he will do what he says he will do.  Yes, it is worth while doing the right thing.

IN THE SPIRIT??

(Eph 5:18) “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit and watching there unto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints”

What does it mean to pray “in the Spirit”? Does it mean to pray in tongues? Does it mean to “keep silence” before the Lord – to be listening for what the Spirit might be saying? Does it somehow mean to be sensitive to inward impressions that may be lingering just inside your conscious awareness? (Or are these just from your own “subconscious” speaking?) Do we cover over or chase away communication from the Spirit by attributing too much to the “subconscious” or by fearing too much the evil spirits?

ANGER SNARES

(Prov 20) The anger of a king is as the roaring of a lion, he that aggravates him gets a snare to his soul.

This shows it is not good to make your superiors angry. I suppose some people purposefully do things to make their Superior angry, but it only gets them trouble and does no good. It may be the desire to make an authority angry or agitated is a flaw in the personality of him that wishes to to it.

Another snare is associating with angry and furious people.

The desire for situations of anger is a trap - - possibly a habit or deception that is very hard to break. A snare is something that traps you and keeps you. Snares are difficult to get out of. (Lord, please help me to avoid snares like anger.)

Knowing you are in a snare can help you get out; not knowing you are in a snare can leave you trapped forever.

MAKING THE PROMISE TRUE

Psalm 105 speaks of remembering and rejoicing in what the Lord has done.  It speaks of the progress of the children of Israel to the promised land.  He gave the promise to Abraham, Issac and Jacob.  He preserved them in the places where they were.  He sent Joseph before them to prepare a place in Egypt  He developed them into a great number.  He delivered them from slavery.  He brought them to the promised land. 

Can we look at big, broad pictures like this and see comparisons in our own or our families lives?

 -- Giving of promise
 -- Protection from outsiders, adverse situations
 -- Development
 -- Delivery from bondage.
 -- Occupying the promised land

Here a generalized version:

 -- Start of a thing (giving promise to Abraham).
 -- The initial delicate stage (protection in Canaan).
 -- Development of the thing (growth in Egypt).
 -- Moving of the thing toward its purpose (delivery from slavery).
 -- Delivery of the thing into its purpose (bring to promised land).

CONSIDER YOUR PATH

“A wicked man hardeneth his face; but as for the upright, he directeth his way.” (Proverbs 21:29)

A wicked man decides he is going to do a thing, and once decided, proceeds through to the end without respect to how the situation may have changed or be different than how he planned.  He pays no attention to the effects of his action on others.  You don't have to be wicked to be this way, you can just be dumb.

The upright directs his way.  Once he decides on a thing he proceeds but keeps aware of how the situation develops  and changes his course (or stops) if it becomes necessary.

TO FIGHT FOR WISDOM

(Proverbs 21:11)  “When the scorner is punished the simple is made wise:  and when the wise is instructed he receiveth knowledge.”

A scorner is someone who speaks words of disgust against something or someone else.  He disapproves, he belittles.  This is not a healthful situation and it is a good thing to correct it.  The scorner needs to be publicly told his words are damaging and not helpful.  Apparently when this happens the simple see the damaging words for what they are:  destructive, unhelpful words.  When they make this perception – that scorning is a damaging activity – they become wiser than they were.  Once someone has perceived this they have increased in wisdom.

Two things happen when you publicly stand against scorning:  A bad activity is stopped, and people are instructed toward wisdom.

DRUMS AROUND THE FIRE

(From a 1998 Journal entry:)

First the thought, and then how I arrived at it:

We would criticize the native American for using drums to achieve some sort of spiritual contact during his religious ceremonies yet we Christians do the vary same things during ours.  Whether during services we use jumpy charismatic tunes or they are old hymns, we hope to achieve a state of worship for the Lord.

How I got here:

I was thinking of a native American who believed in the “Great Spirit” before the time when the Europeans began to emigrate to this hemisphere.  I have wondered if such a person, having never had contact with a Christian, and therefore could not properly state the Gospel, yet believing in the Creator of all things, could not be a “pagan believer”?  He would be a person whose heart was sincere and earnest for God.  I wonder if having a true desire to know the one true God, to be willing to forsake all for, and to suffer for the truth, has the equivalence before God to confessing Jesus with the mouth?  Could the verses in Romans, the ones that speak of the physically uncircumcised acting as if they were circumcised, figuratively apply to such a person?  Again, I am speaking of people who have never had any exposure to God as the sort of revelation the Jews and Europeans had through the Scriptures.  If there were many like him in his tribe, could not the drums about the council fire be the same as our worship music?

Could the name of “Great Spirit” be to this person as “Jehovah” or “Christ” is to us?  You would have to know his intended purpose for his calls to the “Great Spirit” and the intended purpose for the music.  More fundamentally, you would have to know what he thinks the “Great Spirit” can do, what he can not do, what he did, what his requirements of us are.  What is mankind's place in the world, in the after life and what is man's place before him?  What if his understanding does not line up exactly with our understanding of God?  Without the Bible how would he get that understanding?

But in the 21st century, with the spread of the Gospel over the globe, there are very few of such people to be found upon the earth.

LISTENING TO MUSIC

Back when I was a boy I remember hearing, every once and a great while, Latin music on the radio. I would hear the breaks when just the percussion instruments would play. To me it was a thrilling sound. Back then there were no records or tapes or CDs to buy - - you could only hear the music once, while it was playing. When it was done you had to wait until the next time something like it was played, perhaps months later. Back then the sound quality was poor. I don't remember that we listened to the radio all that much at our house yet I remember rhythmic syncopated music exciting me.

Now I can select from a wide variety of all types of music. If I have a recording I can play it over and over. By repetition I can learn it so well so as to know all the parts of it. I can know instantly if anything is different from another recording even if the voicing and arrangements are all the same. Now music performance is at our fingertips - - we may have it whenever we want: from a recording or from the radio or T.V. We are bound no longer to performance by live musicians, or to performing it for our own selves.

Why is it, then, that I don't listen more at home. I rarely ever do. Playing music distracts me from other things. With me it's one, or the other.

CHATTERBOXING

Once on the way into work I was having an imaginary conversation with someone. These people I “talk with” are usually people with some influence or importance in some area. I thought, “Why do I do this?” Am I wishing for some favor from them; do I want to gain their attention? Then I thought, “Here I am imagining a conversation with an imaginary person, who is not real, yet I do not pray to the Lord, who is real.”

Would it be a good thing for me to have these “conversations” with God instead? If I did this would it have a value to God? Would I be a chatter-box endlessly whining on about my problems and ideas and never leaving a space for God to respond?

WATCH FOR CURVES

In his word God tells us how he expects us to think and act via men like Moses, Paul, Peter, Mathew, John, etc.  This is how we can know what truth is.  As shown in 1 Tim 1 we are supposed to “teach no other doctrine”.  I take this to mean that we are not to modify the intended meaning of the Scripture.  There may be cases where we are teaching about a subject and use Scripture to support our teaching, but we should not use our teaching to modify the meaning.

When we wish to describe a topic we have many tools to use, and Scripture is one of them.  It is perfectly allowable to use Scripture this way.  Scripture is a tool of truth; we use it to give a foundation to a truth we want to communicate.  But we need to use the proper tool for the proper  job.  We do not use a chisel to turn a screw tighter, and we do not use a screw driver to trim a piece of wood.  We do not use truth to tell a lie.

Men are good at “weasel wording”, they can turn aside from the original intended meaning toward something different.  They start along the proper path and start walking along the edge of that path.  Sometimes they will take a little side path that parallels the original and hop back into the true path.  Perhaps they continue staying on the parallel path.  Then the path that was parallel may slowly start to veer, ever so slightly, to the left or right.  Perhaps the path they are following bends further astray until one day it is not going to the same destination at all.

Watch your compass to make sure you are taking the true path.

SERVING THE STICKS

God washed the disciples' feet and said “As you have seen me do, so should you do to one another.”  This is not unusual, God has always acted in service to us.  He gave us the run of his creation for our use and provision.  He required little from us other than to take care of it and of each other.  He overlooked many insulting and grievous transgressions we did as we were using it.

What do we do?  We create too:  we take sticks of wood and construct a house.  Then we become concerned over the house - - it becomes our protection; it is our peace-giver; it is our thing of beauty; it is our future; it is our life-giver.

When this happens the house is not serving us, we are serving the house.  We have come to worship the house.  Through his provision and forbearance God serves us.  We were never God, yet we turn ourselves to serve a pile of sticks which we  sawed from God's trees.

EXTENDED BRAINS

It's fascinating to think about how human-devised devices can work as extensions of our brains. Our brain registers and interprets sound, which we receive through our sense organs, the ears. So the brain becomes extended through the ear. The ear itself can be extended when we listen to a phone call. The phone extends our ear to the person at the other end, perhaps miles away. All our senses can be extended as Norman Doidge explains Marshall McLuhan's insight to us:

" . . .the communications media both extend our range and implode into us. His [McLuhan's] first law of media is that all the media are extensions of aspects of man. Writing extends memory, when we use a paper and pen to record our thoughts; the car extends the foot, clothing the skin. Electronic media are extensions of our nervous systems: the telegraph, radio, and telephone extend the range of the human ear, the television camera extends the eye and sight, the computer extends the processing capacities of our central nervous system. He argued that the process of extending our nervous system also alters it."

The Brain that Changes Itself, Norman Doidge, MD, Penguin Books, copyright 2007.

THE BEST POSITIONING

(2 Timothy 1:3) Paul served God “...from [his] forefathers...”  The tradition of serving God came to him from his family.  His father served God, his Grandfather served God, his nation served God.  Paul grew up in a family that served God.  (v5) Timothy also had a line of faith starting with his Grandmother Lois.

God has a plan for us, a calling according to his own purpose which may, or may not, coincide with our works.  God has had a plan for us which was in place before we ever started to plot out our own lives.  It was in place “... before the world began.”  Paul was called to be a preacher, apostle, and teacher (of the Gentiles) (v11).  Timothy had “... that good thing ...” (v3).

I believe God's plan for each of us in general in nature.  He wants all of us to live according to his instructions.  But he positions individuals with certain specific intellectual and skill tendencies and leaves the development of them to each of us, as he did with Paul and Timothy.  The more we try to be sensitive toward God, the more likely we will not disturb the positioning God has made for us.  The more self-centered and worldly we are, the more likely we are to make the position less effective, or perhaps destroy the positioning altogether.

How do we know what God's plan is for us personally?
- Word of God (Bible)
- Circumstances
- Observation
- Opportunities
- Other people as in:
    – Family
    – Friends
    – Books
    – Seminars
    – Test instruments

THE DOCTRINE OF DOCTRINE

Doctrine is principle or body of principles. A doctrine is a systematic attempt by men to describe what the Word of God says about a certain topic. There are elements within the Word of God that can be taken and used as building blocks for doctrines. Some doctrines can use one or more elements of other doctrines. Each doctrine is represented by a window through which we look at a portion of the Word of God. Each window looks at a different area; some windows cover only one area while other windows overlap each other.

Doctrines, taken individually, can not represent all of what the Word says to us. It may be that many doctrines linked together can approximate much of what the Word says.

Doctrines can be wrong, either partially or wholly. Sometimes doctrines take what God said simply and make it so complex that men go wrong or become discouraged. Conversely, some doctrines take a complex communication from God and so simplify that it looses it's intended meaning.

The Word is always larger than the efforts of man to classify or explain it. Given the limitations of our flesh, God has told us (mankind) more than we can comprehend, understand, or explain.

Similarly, no single man can comprehend fully all the knowledge wrapped up in a microchip. It took thousands of men hundreds of years to discover electricity and the technology to harness it to produce power and to manipulate knowledge. There are geniuses, but no one man can comprehend it all.

So don't feel bad about not knowing everything; you can't; no man can.

THE DOLLAR-EIGHTY SERMON

Is faith a matter of the mind only, or is there some feeling mixed in with it?  The Charismatics look for the feeling – the experience.  The Baptists look for the teaching.  When the Bible says “we walk by faith, not by sight” does that mean we set aside the feeling and recall from our minds what God said and walk that way?  What feeling could there possibly be that would be reason or justification enough to go against God's word?

If sermons can be rated as to worth, say from $0 to $3.00 dollars, X preaches a $2.00 sermon.  What does it mean when he preaches a $1.80 sermon and we have to add to it $0.20 from our own store so that it can be a somewhat balanced sermon?  Where do we get the other dollar?  What about when this happens Sunday after Sunday?  What about the people who don't have anything to add because they do not actually read the Bible.  If they read, they read books about what is said in the Bible.  What do they do?