A LITTLE BIT OF THE OLD BIBLE STUDY

 

My abilities as a Bible teacher lie somewhere between the kindergarten and first grade but still there are a lot of spiritual first graders around.

In our spiritual quest one of the first things to know is; that GOD is infinite (subject to no limitation or external determination) and man is finite (having a limited nature or existence.)

Being aware of this has created a great gulf between the two. You might say "I already knew that," well I told you this is first grade stuff.

Now, comes upon the scene Jesus Christ who is 100% GOD and 100% man and is the bridge or connection between the Infinite and the finite.

The next bit of information is important; there isn't anything automatic about this process of interaction between the two parties, Jesus being the factor.

The rules for interaction are spelled out in the Bible most clearly if followed.

These rules are established by the Infinite and are to be complied with by the finite in order for the parties to be "hooked up."

 

The picture that comes to mind is of three people whose hands are extended and the mediator (Jesus) standing in the middle reaches out and takes a hand of each of the two parties joining all three together.

 

This process can work very well for we have been given the access code (the name of Jesus) for communication with the Father.  Except there is one hindrance and you guessed it - - it is disobedience better known as Sin.  Sin breaks the connection and must be re-established before prayer can be fully effective.

 

There is something in the manual concerning this; 1John 1:6-10 So if we say that we share in life with God, but we continue living in darkness, we are liars, who don't follow the truth. We should live in the light, where God is. If we live in the light, we have fellowship with each other, and the blood sacrifice of Jesus, God's Son, washes away every sin and makes us clean. If we say that we have no sin, we are fooling ourselves, and the truth is not in us. But if we confess our sins, God will forgive us. We can trust God to do this. He always does what is right. He will make us clean from all the wrong things we have done. If we say that we have not sinned, we are saying that God is a liar and that we don't accept his true teaching.

 

According to this we will mess up but on the other hand we can quickly straighten up by having a little talk with Jesus. This concludes this lesson children - - so be good.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxLA1NX9gxY

I’M ONLY HUMAN AFTER ALL!

 

“To err is human; to forgive, divine.”

Alexander Pope an English poet born on May 21^st 1688 and died May 30^th 1744 said those often quoted words. He might have also said “to excuse err is to remove all responsibility” regardless of the offense whether great or small.

The law is suppose to have garnered great wisdom in dealing with deliberate offences but we find there are great disparities in rendering judgment.  

Weldon Angelos, a 28 year old music executive and father of two young children was convicted of selling small amounts of marijuana three times for a few hundred dollars each time. He was sentenced to 55 years in prison while in the same courtroom on the same day; another defendant was convicted of bludgeoning an elderly woman to death with a log.  He was sentenced to 25 years.

There are times when a judge is forced to levy heavy sentences for what could be called trivial offences and almost ignore crimes of a more violent nature.

To err is human, but it is also human to obey and thus need no divine forgiveness. If there was only one person in the world it would be unnecessary to follow rules of conduct but the minute there are two or more people on earth then protection is needed and comes in the form of laws or rules.

The Ten Commandments cover virtually all of the human conduct needed to have a functioning society and when examining them you see that there are none of the commandments that a human can’t easily obey if they choose to do so.

Perhaps Mr. Pope would have been better served if he had said “to err is a willful violation of what is known to be unprofitable for society.”

Notwithstanding there are careless moments when an unintentional erroneous act may happen.   It certainly should be the exception and not the rule.

When we have to excuse the way we conduct ourselves, we need to return to the book of life for instructions in righteousness. 

The promulgation of human weakness has become an opiate that society has been hooked on and spirituality is a victim of this practice. In some cases the asking and receiving forgiveness lifestyle has replaced living uprightly before the Lord and whose motto is “I’m only human after all.”  

Is it time to stop excusing ourselves and start living up to our potential?

 

Fathers are Needed by their Family

This is a guest post by my wife Hazel -

from her Book "Rescue the Stories Book Three"

 

Father reading to his children

 

Every work place has their own set of abbreviations that mean something to those working there.
 

At our job at the Family Support Department, there were words and abbreviations known only to us.  

AP meant Absent Parent (could be either one).  NCP was Non Custodial Parent, again either one.    Our main function at our job was to collect the monthly child support payments and forward them to the CP, (Custodial Parent.)

I remember one day, when my co-worker was extremely upset with her husband.  I knew she was angry by the way she tore into her work.  A bee was certainly under her bonnet!!

Later that morning, up the stairs happily skipped one of the girls from the front desk carrying a large bouquet of roses.   She sang a sort of sing song remark as she yodeled, “These just came for YOU,” then she handed the lovely flowers to my friend.  The girl continued, “He must have done something real-ly bad!” 

The other workers who could not help overhearing laughed, but my friends face softened.

When all was quiet and my friend was ready to listen; I began to speak softly just to her.  Not referring to the flowers, or to my friend’s anger, but telling her a short parable.

I began, “You know, darlin’, I have noticed that most of these NCP cases we deal with all have an interesting story.  Many times, the woman becomes so angry with her stupid, no good, useless husband, that she dumps him for what ever good reason she believes. 

 

The amazing part of these cases is that there is usually another women out there waiting to grab that worthless, son of a gun, as soon as he is free.  I wonder if the wife might just be better off to forgive that no good guy, keep him and simply go on with their life?”

That day, she was listening but she said nothing.  I knew in my heart that she had got the message “Big time.”  We never talked about her situation, and there was no need to do so.

The story went on; their home was not broken, he applied for and got a better job.  He continues to be a good father to their children, and they have a somewhat happy home!

Wives (and hubby too) always be forgiving, and Husbands (and wife too), make no opportunity for offense.

Happy Father’s day to you out there, no matter who you are!

 

Worse than Nixon

Justice is Blind ! !
 

A fourth century B.C. noted philosopher concluded that there were two truths.  One was eternal truth, the other was temporal.

Eternal truth was the deep, actual truth while temporal truth was a reflection of the eternal but was ever changing somewhat like situation ethics.

There have been many embellishments of this philosophy down to today and is still going on.

We find that some on the Supreme Court view the Constitution of the United States in a like manner. While they see the document as absolute, it is passé.

It must remain the rule of law yet be considered a living document that can be interpreted as they see fit.

The problem with this is it allows them to actually make law instead of applying the law which is an intrusion into the legislative branch of government.

When judges can make the law (as we have seen happen in California) it puts a price tag on judgments or in other words judgments for sale. It is a kind of judicial Ebay.

Justices on the court are as hard to get rid of as the itch and President Obama may be allowed to appoint one or two more justices while he remains in office.

Because of his concept of change I feel there is a real need for concern. This President considers himself above the law and the Constitution subject to his interpretation.

At last we have one who is worse than Nixon. 

 

BEING TIRED

 

If there is one thing that stands out in my life it is being tired. Yes I'm tired in any way and in every way that it is possible that you can be tired.

I go to bed tired, and wake up tired. I go through the day being tired and I wait for time to pass so I can go to bed.

I'm tired of wars we can't win, and the tragedy that accompanies them. The finest men of our country are slaughtered and maimed to the point of their lives and families are destroyed.

I'm tired of politicians whose only interest is self promotion, and tired of being ruled by idiocy.

I'm tired of legislation that is designed to promote an illogical philosophy thought up by some ne'er-do-well, and is designed to exercise control over people.

I'm tired of some people taking advantage of others where some are made rich, and others struggle to survive.  

In short I'm tired of these and many other things.

Even though I'm tired - - it is no excuse to be slothful and become useless especially as it refers to the kingdom of GOD.

The Gospel has been promoted by Saints that were tired; those who have counted their ministry more important than their creature comforts.

John 4:6  Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.

This scripture kinda grabbed me as I read and thought about it. Never had I thought about Jesus being tired. He had every reason to complain about his journey, but yet he saw his mission to the end.

As he sat at the well he saw an opportunity to do some good and proceeded to take advantage of the moment.  John 4:7  There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink. 

What occurred next was a dialogue where questions were asked and answered and promises made by Jesus. As the saying goes the rest is history.

This message was good for me. Even though I'm tired as Galatians 6:9 admonishes Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.

There is a song whose lyrics are in part;

"Nothing's impossible I have found, For when my chin is on the ground,

I pick myself up; Dust myself off, Start All over again."

 

This post is shared at “Tell Me a True Story.”

 

GOING TOO FAR

In an age where we try to push the envelope too far one might ask, “Where are the brakes”?
 

In a day when once you get to the top you can’t stay there unless you keep on pushing… until you have gone too far.
 

You might say in what area is this happening and the answer is everywhere and in everything.
 

The present day activities of politics are an area where we find that lying is just the way business is done. It starts at the bottom and has been perfected at the top.
 

Accepting responsibility is the “In Thing” for it comes without accountability. They are accountable to no one due to the fact they know where all the bodies are buried and those who should regulate wrong behavior walk in fear of being exposed themselves.
 

An area where we have gone tooooo far is substituting the righteousness man for the righteousness GOD.
 

With GOD that which is right is clearly stated and understood but the righteousness of man rides the wave of popularity as demonstrated by the old traditional conventions being dissed upon in favor ideas put forward by unseemly attitudes.

 Psalm 2:1 puts forward a question; “Why do the heathen rage and the people imagine a vain thing”?

The answer is because they have thrown all restraints and consider it to be a desirable thing.

 

As always, eating forbidden fruit produces a degree of death.

 

I NEVER GAVE THANKS



Thank You Mom

Giving thanks is an act that can easily be feigned.

If they are words without meaning to you then it is just a pretence and is not worthy of the giver or receiver.

The 1929 stock market crash is conventionally said to have occurred on Thursday the 24th and Tuesday the 29th of October. These two dates have been dubbed "Black Thursday" and "Black Tuesday," something happened in between those dates; I was born on the 26th of October 1929.

During the days that followed some people suffered greatly in the great depression that was the result.  My father was employed but was sent from place to place to ply his trade. As was the custom in those days, out-of-towners stayed in boarding houses and so it was, my father, my mother and I dwelled in many places.  

Paper diapers hadn't yet been invented, so my mother had the pleasure of having to use a wash tub to wash my dirty diapers. It wasn't unusual to have to change the diapers a dozen or more times a day so you can see it was a busy time for her.

Of all the hundreds things she did for me growing up I can't remember ever really saying "Thank you mom."  I may have grunted out the expected obligatory thanks but I did that sparingly.

As I think back - - I just expected her to do all those things for me because of some unknown reason, thinking that I deserved it.  Instead of being grateful, to me it was no big thing. 

She carried me for 9 months, suffered through a home birth, and then put up with my foolishness for all those years, and still it wasn't until I had a family of my own that I started to return her kindness to me.

After being born again my attitude improved somewhat but there probably was and is still room for improvement.

When someone does something good for you, gratitude should be shown for their deed. It doesn't necessarily obligate you to them for some will use a suppose kindness as a control device over you.

If you have been saved by Christ one of the easiest things for you to do should be to thank him for his mercy to you.  Since we continually need forgiveness we should continually give thanks to HIM for his grace and long suffering.

The Psalmist incessantly does this very thing through the book of Psalms!

Psalms 106:1 Hallelujah! Give ye thanks unto Jehovah; for he is good; for his loving-kindness endures for ever.

As I said it is easy to feign giving thanks, just saying the words, but the Lord knows the difference.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmSjw8ZaiBs&feature=related

 

This post is shared at “Tell Me a True Story.”