A Love of Others

December 30th, 2006

A Love of Others

“I love you, I just don’t like you.” Have you ever heard that being said? Have you ever said it? I’ve said it. It never sat right with me. There’s a good reason for that, and that’s because it’s garbage. You can’t love someone and not like them. Imagine what it would be like if your spouse never liked you, yet married you. Imagine what it would be like if your parents never liked you, yet raised you. Imagine what it would be like if God never liked you, yet watched over you. Now, of course, all of these tell you they love you but don’t like you. It doesn’t fly. It just doesn’t fly.

“Multitude” is an interesting word. In the NIV Bible, it is used ten times. In 1st Peter 4:8, I looked up multitude and found that the Greek word “plēthos” means a multitude such as a great number (of men or things). It can also go further to mean the “whole number” or a “whole multitude”. Dictionary.com simply says that a multitude is a great number and is also defined as “a very great number.”

Now, in this year of 2006, I have learned a few things. I have learned that I don’t like those who are like me, that is in my sinful nature. I see someone making the same mistake and I become angry. And if I am not careful, I end up saying a statement very much like that of: “I love you, but I don’t like you right now.” It doesn’t work. It doesn’t fly. I love baseball, I just don’t like baseball right now. That’s stupid. That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever written.

Before I get into some scripture, I want to share one definition of love from Dictionary.com which defines love as “to have a strong liking for and to take great pleasure in.” This definition shows that when someone likes someone and that feeling grows, it blossoms into love. One cannot love without liking first. If I am to say that I don’t like someone, then loving them is not even in the equation.

1st Peter 4:1-11
Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do - living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. They think it strange that you do not plunge with them into the same flood of dissipation, and they heap abuse on you. But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged according to men in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit.

The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

***Love covers over a multitude of sins. Here’s the hang-up. If I love someone, then I should be able to see past their sinful nature and love the person, irregardless of what muck and junk they carry. Love covers this up. And if I don’t like someone, I don’t love them, and their sins are not being covered up by my sight. What I am trying to say, if I don’t love the person, I can’t look past their faults and I become critical of them and their shortcomings. How can I offer hospitality to them and not grumble in my heart if I am focusing in on their sin like a heat seeking missile? It’s not possible.

James 5:13-20
Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

***In the book of James, the second “multitude of sins” verse is listed. By the way, there’s only two in the NIV Bible that carries that phrase. Elijah is a man of prayer. James is writing about him and then mentions that bringing someone back to Christ saves them from death and covers over their sins. Is this random? Nope, it is association. Sick? You should pray. In sin? You should pray and get others to pray as well. Someone leaves God? You should pray from them. If you don’t like them, but love them, then it is definitely a righteous prayer. WRONG! You have to like them to love them, and a loving heart will promote a righteous prayer. This is where I have fallen short, but I am growing. I’m not growing as fast as I would like, but a seed doesn’t turn into a monstrous oak overnight. This is what I will be working on in 2007. A New Year’s resolution? No, a New Year’s goal for the year 2007. Resolutions tend to get broken but goals are something to be attained and worked on over time. I don’t have New Year’s resolutions, but I do have New Year goals. Keep safe out there, Go Cowboys, Go Rangers, Go Mavs, may all three teams be blessed with success and not make me sick when I pay attention in your direction. Family and Friends, may the New Year bring you plenty more happiness and joy than the previous year. All take care and don’t forget to feed you pets. Johnny Out.

Upcoming Posts

Here are some ideas I have... with this post that I update, it keeps it in my mind and allows me to role around the idea even more so that it can be so big and huge it can end up to be huge post like the "Paint a Picture" post.

Upcoming Titles (I think):

• The Power of One Word
• Refurbished Man
• If - Then
• The Right Tools (a follow-up to "paint a picture")

Frankly, Scarlet, I Give a Gift. (Part II)

December 27th, 2006

Frankly, Scarlet, I Give a Gift. (Part II)

Matthew 5:38-42
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.”

Matthew 5:42 Give: The Greek word is didōmi which means to give. That is on the most basic meaning. Going deeper, it means to give something to someone of one’s own accord to give one something, to his advantage. It also means to bestow a gift. Here’s a list of some other meanings:

• To grant, give to one asking, let have


• To supply, furnish, necessary things


• To give over, deliver by reaching out, extend, present


• To deliver by a writing


• To give over to one’s care, entrust, commit


• Something to be administered


• To give or commit to some one something to be religiously observed


• To give what is due or obligatory, to pay: wages or reward


• To furnish, endue

There is plenty more. I could give something to someone when they ask for it, and it would be to my advantage. Maybe. I really have a hard time wrapping my mind around that one. How can it be to my advantage to give to someone who is bold enough to ask? I can spout off a truck load of “what-ifs” on this one, but to be honest with you, these generally don’t happen (IE: Someone running up to ask for a house, car, $1,000 dollars, etc.).

I wouldn’t really know what to do in those situations, but I do understand that the Bible says to get advice and many advisors make victory sure. If someone asks for your car, get advice first (and not from me, please! I don’t know the answer to that one.). But here is something that I have figured out, at least from this passage and the Greek background. I think of it this way, have I not struck the cheek of Christ on both his right AND left? I have taken his cloak and tunic. I’ve made him walk more than two miles. The amazing thing about this whole picture: I’m forgiven.

There’s still more, though. If God has put up with my disaster that I call a life, and still has a heart to love me in spite of me, wouldn’t it be at least the slightest bit possible that he might knock that last verse down to help me out? “Give to the one who asks you…” is what it says. And as I mention time after time in my blog, generally to remind myself, is that if God is willing to give to me, and I am supposed to imitate God, then I would most definitely have to have a heart to give to others.

• Forgive as you want to be forgiven.


• Love as you want to be loved.


• Give as you want to be given to.

Maybe this makes sense, maybe it doesn’t. It makes sense to me. The real kicker is to accomplish these things without expecting anything in return. It’s like the stock market, you don’t know if the rewards are going to come back or not. You can put money in a broken piggy bank and later there’s not even money on the floor. The real heart is the effort. No one knows for sure if the pink pig is going to break, but someone has to invest in it, nurture it, believing in it, and if things work out, it works out. But you won’t know unless you try, as the saying goes.

Matthew 6:1-4
“Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.”

“So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

This giving is a benevolence, which is a giving to the poor and needy. It’s a different Greek word, eleēmosunē, meaning charity, pity, and mercy toward those in need. And even though it is a completely different word in Greek, it is the same in English. A part of me wants to combine the definitions in this case. It would make sense. The first says to give what is due. The second says that giving to the poor should be done in secret. It makes sense to me to put them together in saying, Give to the poor what is due them in secret. Whether it be money, material items, or food, it would be best to be done anonymously, that is if heavenly wages is the pay dirt one seeks. Johnny Out.

Spiritual Goals for 2006: Update

Goals for 2006: Updated on 12/27/06

Baptize Someone: didn’t accomplish.
Memorize 12 Scriptures: done.
Get 12 Visitors to Church: nine for the year.
Get out of Debt: Actually, somehow I fell into more.
Be consistent with CR: Didn’t happen this year. I have ideas, though.
A True Tithe: No longer at 10% but what we are giving is a sacrifice.
Consistent Family Devotionals: Could be better. This year was better than last.

Other Goals:

Look/Consider House: Not happening in the foreseeable future.
Lessen Jenny’s Hours at Job with a Smaller Budget: Jenny is now on salary, big pay raise, and working less hours… BIG-BIG BLESSING!

Frankly, Scarlet, I Give a Gift

December 26th, 2006

Frankly, Scarlet, I Give a Gift.

Genesis 32:1-21
Jacob also went on his way, and the angels of God met him. When Jacob saw them, he said, “This is the camp of God!” So he named that place Mahanaim.

Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom. He instructed them: “This is what you are to say to my master Esau: ‘Your servant Jacob says, I have been staying with Laban and have remained there till now. I have cattle and donkeys, sheep and goats, menservants and maidservants. Now I am sending this message to my lord, that I may find favor in your eyes.’”

When the messengers returned to Jacob, they said, “We went to your brother Esau, and now he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him.”

In great fear and distress Jacob divided the people who were with him into two groups, and the flocks and herds and camels as well. He thought, “If Esau comes and attacks one group, the group that is left may escape.”

Then Jacob prayed, “O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, O LORD, who said to me, 'Go back to your country and your relatives, and I will make you prosper,' I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant. I had only my staff when I crossed this Jordan, but now I have become two groups. Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid he will come and attack me, and also the mothers with their children. But you have said, 'I will surely make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted.’”

He spent the night there, and from what he had with him he selected a gift for his brother Esau: two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, thirty female camels with their young, forty cows and ten bulls, and twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys. He put them in the care of his servants, each herd by itself, and said to his servants, “Go ahead of me, and keep some space between the herds.”

He instructed the one in the lead: “When my brother Esau meets you and asks, ‘To whom do you belong, and where are you going, and who owns all these animals in front of you?’ then you are to say, ‘They belong to your servant Jacob. They are a gift sent to my lord Esau, and he is coming behind us.’”

He also instructed the second, the third and all the others who followed the herds: “You are to say the same thing to Esau when you meet him. And be sure to say, ‘Your servant Jacob is coming behind us.’” For he thought, “I will pacify him with these gifts I am sending on ahead; later, when I see him, perhaps he will receive me.” So Jacob’s gifts went on ahead of him, but he himself spent the night in the camp.

*Interesting*

Genesis 43:1-14
Now the famine was still severe in the land. So when they had eaten all the grain they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, “Go back and buy us a little more food.”

But Judah said to him, “The man warned us solemnly, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’ If you will send our brother along with us, we will go down and buy food for you. But if you will not send him, we will not go down, because the man said to us, 'You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’”

Israel asked, “Why did you bring this trouble on me by telling the man you had another brother?”

They replied, “The man questioned us closely about ourselves and our family. ‘Is your father still living?’ he asked us. ‘Do you have another brother?’ We simply answered his questions. How were we to know he would say, ‘Bring your brother down here’?”

Then Judah said to Israel his father, “Send the boy along with me and we will go at once, so that we and you and our children may live and not die. I myself will guarantee his safety; you can hold me personally responsible for him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him here before you, I will bear the blame before you all my life. As it is, if we had not delayed, we could have gone and returned twice.”

Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be, then do this: Put some of the best products of the land in your bags and take them down to the man as a gift… a little balm and a little honey, some spices and myrrh, some pistachio nuts and almonds. Take double the amount of silver with you, for you must return the silver that was put back into the mouths of your sacks. Perhaps it was a mistake. Take your brother also and go back to the man at once. And may God Almighty grant you mercy before the man so that he will let your other brother and Benjamin come back with you. As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved.”

***Interesting still***

Esau didn’t forgive Jacob, which means ‘deceiver’. His name changes to Israel, which means ‘struggles with God’. But the wrongful party or group sends gifts to make amends. It works for Israel in both circumstances.

"Give Peas a Chance"

December 25th, 2006

“Give Peas a Chance”

Wow. Christmas is gone. I don’t rush to scriptures about Jesus’ birth during the holiday. I tend to hear those plenty from others. It’s not a bad thing to hear them, I just don’t want to “over-kill” myself with those scriptures that my heart becomes weary of the Bible. So when I found my starting scripture, I then read it in context to find that it was in the birth of Christ, I found that a bit surprising.

Luke 2:8-20
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Verse 14 is the scripture in question. Peace. Give peace a chance. “Praise God in heaven! Peace on earth to everyone who pleases God.” (Contemporary English Version) Glory to God in the highest, and on the earth peace among men with whom he is well pleased. (Bible in Basic English) “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom he is pleased!” (Good News Bible)

Peace on earth, but it is only to the people who please God who can get this peace, that much is for sure clear. The Greek word is eirēnē which means “a state of national tranquility free from the rage and havoc of war.” Is this the peace that the angels were talking about? Let’s try another definition. The Messiah’s peace that leads to the peace that salvation brings. Peace is a harmony and a concord between individuals. Could this be the peace the angels were talking about? I think this would be the peace.

Revelation 6:3-4
When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!” Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make men slay each other. To him was given a large sword.

Revelation 9:20-21
The rest of mankind that were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood—idols that cannot see or hear or walk. Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts.

There are two categories I can be in: The first is the peace group. The second is the group who doesn’t have peace. The first is the repentant group. The second group doesn’t repent. The first has a love for God and others. The second has a love for themselves. The first is humble. The second is prideful. The first worships God. The second worships something else, like a house, money, or school/work.

1st Peter 3:8-12
Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. For, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech. He must turn from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

Now, what really confuses me about the scripture in 1st Peter is that it uses “seek” and “pursue” in the same sentence, but in a way that they should mean something else. I thought they meant the same thing.

Seek (verb):

• To go in search or quest of


• To try to obtain


• To make a search or investigation

Pursue (verb):

• To follow close upon; go with; attend


• To follow in order to overtake


• To strive to gain; seek to attain or accomplish


• To proceed along the course of; follow

Now, I can see that I was a little off. They are close in meaning, yet so very different from each other. It’s like following Christ, I can think I am pursuing him, yet I really haven’t even sought him out. Have I sought out peace? Am I pursuing it? Does peace attend my character? Have I gained peace?

“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom he is pleased!” To have peace, I have to have God pleased with me. To have the LORD pleased with me, I have to have repented and turned away from sin. Once I am pursuing a relationship with God and not the desires of the sinful nature, I will also be seeking and pursuing peace. “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom he is pleased!” Johnny Out.

Five Things I’ve Learned! Four Roasted Birds, Three French Toast…

December 24th, 2006

Five Things I’ve Learned! Four Roasted Birds, Three French Toast…

Wow. Christmas is here. You know, this year has been something. I think I’ve cried more this year than probably my whole life leading up to this year. And being 32, that may say a lot about me, it may not (being I’m a guy and stuck with some sort of guy label), but I think it does and that’s what matters. This year, my health plummeted into some sort of nastiness, still undiagnosed. My son turned one. I went back to school to finish my degree (AGAIN). The cat urinated on the Christmas presents. The cat did #2 on my pants, while I was still wearing them. The cat is still alive (WHAT?!). I alienated some family members and built better relationships with others. I suffered from some memory loss, which put me in the hospital. I’ve seen the emergency room at least four times this year that I can recall. I could be off (memory card now played once). What I wanted to share in this post is a number of things that I have learned this year. I am not certain if there is going to be scripture involved, how much if there is, or whatever… just shooting from the hip (as always):

#1: I’ve learned that irregardless of what I do or what happens to me, God is still with me and loves me. God wants me to draw closer to him in whatever situation I am going through, good, bad, or ugly. (Ben Doke helped me with this one, as did others – THANKS)

#2: I’ve learned it is good to have different types of friendships – in distance, personality, and interests. “Seldom set foot in your neighbor's house — too much of you, and he will hate you.” Proverbs 25:17 (Thanks CC for helping me learn this one)

#3: I’ve learned to control my speed, but more than that, to obey the law of the land I live. “If anyone turns a deaf ear to the law, even his prayers are detestable.” Proverbs 28:9

#4: I’ve learned that I have trust issues. This is an issue that ranges from friends and family all the way up to God himself. And trust is a huge thing to God: it kept Moses from the promised land, Judah was overtaken, Jeremiah pointed out trust in possessions. “It [love] always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” 1 Corinthians 13:7. I am supposed to always trust. I’m not sure if I am even partially trusting in God. Am I going to let this keep me from the promised land? (Thanks addiction for pointing this one out)

#5: I’ve gained a better understanding on forgiveness and hope. This has also opened the door to a better understanding of grace. (Thanks undiagnosed illness for help on this one)

There are plenty more, I will share those in the next few posts. Merry Christmas – Johnny Out.

Itchy and Scratchy

December 22nd, 2006

Itchy and Scratchy

This is a bit upsetting. Did you know you can check your driver’s license online? Well, how about everyone else’s? Now you can see anyone’s Drivers License on the Internet, including your own. I just searched for mine and *BOOM* there it was… picture and all (and I still look funny)! Modern technology at its best, I guess. Privacy, where is our right to it? I removed mine and I suggest you all do the same, unless you have a great picture and don’t mind everyone having your address to boot. Go to the website. Just enter your name, City and State to see if yours is on file. After your license comes on the screen, click the box marked “Please Remove.” And follow the information to have your license removed from the internet for public viewing. It will still remain on file with the law enforcement. Here’s the link: http://www.license.shorturl.com/

Now, I checked this on snopes.com and this is the real deal. It is going to be on the News all day long today, so be ready to hear about it so much, you’ll get sick of hearing it. Another thing, get this sent around to your contacts ASAP! We don’t need this spreading around. PLEASE FORWARD THIS WARNING AMONG FRIENDS, FAMILY AND CONTACTS: You should be alert during the next few days. Do not open any message with an attached file called “Invitation” regardless of who sent it. It is a virus that opens an Olympic Torch which “burns” the whole hard drive (C drive) of your computer. This virus will be received from someone who has your e-mail address in his/her contact list. That is why you should send this e-mail to all your contacts. It is better to receive this message 25 times than to receive the virus and open it. If you receive a mail called “invitation”, though sent by a friend, do not open it and shut down your computer immediately. This is the worst virus announced by CNN and has been classified by Microsoft as the most destructive virus ever. This virus was discovered my McAfee yesterday and there is no repair yet for this kind of virus. This virus simply destroys the Zero Sector of the Hard Drive, where the vital information is kept.

SEND THIS E-MAIL TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW! COPY THIS E-MAIL AND SEND IT TO YOUR FRIENDS AND REMEMBER: IF YOU SEND IT TO THEM, IT WILL BENEFIT US ALL.

Mark DeRosa sings in the shower. Kameron Loe has two large pet rats that, without the tail, are roughly 15 to 18 inches long – and pretty fat. CJ Wilson is a surfer type of person, whereas Ian Kinsler seems to be more reserved in personality, the “wallflower” type of person. 27% of U.S. male college students believe life is “a meaningless existential hell.” 43.7% of all statistics are made up right on the spot. 80% of arrested criminals are male. By raising your legs slowly and lying on your back, you cannot sink into quicksand. Charlie Chaplin once won third prize in a Charlie Chaplin look-alike contest. 90% of bird species are monogamous; only 3% of animals are. A Baboon called “Jackie” became a private in the South African army in World War I. A chameleon can move its eyes in two directions at the same time. A Chicago law forbids eating in a place that is on fire. A cockroach’s favorite food is the glue on the back of stamps. A dentist invented the Electric Chair. A female ferret will die if it goes into heat and cannot find a mate. A Kentucky statute states, “No female shall appear in a bathing suit on any highway within this state unless she is escorted by at least two officers or unless she be armed with a club.” Later, an amendment proposed: “The provisions of this statute shall not apply to any female weighing less than sixty pounds nor exceeding 200 pounds; nor shall it apply to female horses.” A Michigan law states that a wife's hair legally belongs to her husband. A man and woman in Mexico City were engaged for 67 yrs and finally married at the age of 82 yrs. A monkey was once tried and convicted for smoking a cigarette in South Bend, Indiana. A Portsmouth, Ohio law ranks baseball players with “vagrants, thieves and other suspicious characters.” A Saudi Arabian woman can get a divorce if her husband doesn't give her coffee. A Saudi Arabian woman can get a divorce if her husband doesn't give her coffee. According to Illinois state law, it is illegal to speak English. The officially recognized language is “American.” After his death in 896, the body of Pope Formosus was dug up and tried for various crimes. Al Capone's business card said he was a furniture dealer. All nude people in your house must be registered in Kentucky. Although not named in the New Testament, tradition names the two thieves crucified at the same time as Jesus as Dismas and Gestas. An old law in Bellingham, Washington made it illegal for a woman to take more than 3 steps backwards while dancing. At Arkansas State University two people cannot hold hands while standing in a doorway unless they belong to a union. At Jack Russell Stadium in Clearwater, Florida, on June 26, 1985, organist Wilbur Snapp played “Three Blind Mice” following a call by umpire Keith O'Connor. The umpire was not amused, and saw to it that Mr. Snapp was ejected from the game.

Now, if you haven’t already done so: “WHAT?!” Now, some of this stuff is true, and some of it is not true. What are you going to believe? There is always the “ignorant card”, so you can believe everything that is served up nice and neat for you. There are other options. Now, I can personally tell you that CJ Wilson said it himself that Mark DeRosa sings in the shower. He also admitted to being a surfer dude. You can look at him and tell he’s a bit eccentric. Kinsler, I figured that out from talking with him. A very nice guy, I can’t say that enough about him. I’ll give you those, because you won’t find out those things, typically anyway, on the internet when you do any research, should you choose.

Question: If someone tells me something to be fact, should I research it out for myself?

Answer: It really depends. I guess the real question is: Is it going to cause a big cause/effect or not? You don’t have time to question if the Subway sandwiches are really 7 grams of fat or less, but if there is time to do personal research, GREAT! That sort of thing could be timely or not, depending on how the research is done. I am not all that interested in researching Subway sandwiches, so you won’t find that on my blog.

Acts 17:1-15
When they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. As his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ,” he said. Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and not a few prominent women.

But the Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason's house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd. But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some other brothers before the city officials, shouting: “These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here, and Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus.” When they heard this, the crowd and the city officials were thrown into turmoil. Then they made Jason and the others post bond and let them go.

As soon as it was night, the brothers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. Many of the Jews believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men.

When the Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God at Berea, they went there too, agitating the crowds and stirring them up. The brothers immediately sent Paul to the coast, but Silas and Timothy stayed at Berea. The men who escorted Paul brought him to Athens and then left with instructions for Silas and Timothy to join him as soon as possible.

What is the Greek definition for the word “examined”? The word “anakrinō” means to examine or judge. Furthermore, to investigate, examine, enquire into, scrutinize, sift, question (specifically in a forensic sense of a judge to hold an investigation or to interrogate, examine the accused or witnesses). You can also look at it as to judge of, estimate, and/or determine (the excellence or defects of any person or thing). I took that from the Thayer dictionary. And so maybe those things above don’t require deep research, but the Bible does. More importantly, the example of the Bereans shows me that I need to study things out in such a manner as to sift, examine, investigate and even judge scriptures. I would think that with judging a scripture, it doesn’t mean since I don’t like this scripture, I throw it out and not obey it. That would be sin and I don’t want to go there. I get there to often as it is, I don’t need another scratch on my vinyl (that’s a record for those who aren’t up with the past). It’s important that if someone says something, especially with scripture, to check it out for myself. Should someone come up to me and say that the Pope doesn’t follow this scripture and he is in sin, it would be good to check it out the scripture, right? And Mr. Pope sins, although I surprising couldn’t find a website that would actually come out and say it.

This was all I could find: “It’s my understanding that the Holy Father receives the sacrament of reconciliation weekly.” A good dodge statement, but in a sense, it does say that, and I am assuming that when they say Holy Father that it isn’t the Father in heaven but some man on Earth, he [the Pope] sins. God can not sin and the Pope is not God. Some have said that Peter was the first Pope, but he didn’t really lead the church. Paul did more of that, at least for the Gentiles. Peter focused more on the Jews. And neither claimed to be a Pope, which should be noted. Another thing that should be noted is that Peter and Paul both sin, which is noted in the Bible. I’ve seen people cry on television for Michael Jackson and the Pope. I still don’t know why. Both breathe air and will some day pass away, but God lives forever. When I say my prayers at night, during the day, I should pray for those people, MJ and the Pope, but not pray TO them. Otherwise, I’ll just end up being a monkey on a driver’s license: funny and yet sad. Johnny Out.

Remember When...

December 18th, 2006

REMEMBER WHEN…

The good old days of yester-year. Those were the times. Yep. It’s taken a few days (its been a strange few days, to say the least) to regain memories (and I am sure that many more days ‘til I regain them all back – who knows really)… and I’m not really sure what I am going to write about here, if I am going to email this one out or let this just sit on the blog. I don’t know. I can’t explain how I felt Saturday, knowing I didn’t know anything, except for one single word: lost.

This is what I learned from this experience: lost is not knowing where you are and not knowing how to get where you want to be. When you are lost, you want to get somewhere but you don’t know how from the current position.

I kept telling people that I wanted to go home. They would ask me where home was… “I don’t know,” would be my response. I didn’t know where it was or how to get there.

Psalm 119:169-176
May my cry come before you, O LORD; give me understanding according to your word. May my supplication come before you; deliver me according to your promise. May my lips overflow with praise, for you teach me your decrees. May my tongue sing of your word, for all your commands are righteous. May your hand be ready to help me, for I have chosen your precepts. I long for your salvation, O LORD, and your law is my delight. Let me live that I may praise you, and may your laws sustain me. I have strayed like a lost sheep. Seek your servant, for I have not forgotten your commands.

A wise friend of mine once said that irregardless of the situation, good – bad – indifferent – whatever the fortune, it should draw me closer to God. Now, I can’t say (just being honest) that I was drawing closer to God when I couldn’t remember who the President of the US. In fact, I don’t think I was really doing much of anything.

Jeremiah 50:6-7
“My people have been lost sheep; their shepherds have led them astray and caused them to roam on the mountains. They wandered over mountain and hill and forgot their own resting place. Whoever found them devoured them; their enemies said, ‘We are not guilty, for they sinned against the LORD, their true pasture, the LORD, the hope of their fathers.’”

“Be Careful What You Think You Know.” That quote came in handy… although I didn’t remember it, I still applied it quite well to my situation. Have you ever been so scared that you want to run? And you’re not sure what the situation is, but it just doesn’t seem right? When I was in the hospital and they started poking needles into me, I thought about leaving. I wanted to go home and THEY WERE TORTURING ME! Maybe I am the only one who could see it from my perspective, but that’s how it was.

Ezekiel 34:1-6, 15-16
The word of the LORD came to me: “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who only take care of themselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock? You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock. You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally. So they were scattered because there was no shepherd, and when they were scattered they became food for all the wild animals. My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. They were scattered over the whole earth, and no one searched or looked for them.

I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign LORD. I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice.

Luke 19:10
“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”

Luke 19:10 lost (Thayer):
apollumi

• To destroy; as in to put out of the way entirely, abolish, put an end to ruin or to render useless or to kill or to declare that one must be put to death or to metaphorically to devote or give over to eternal misery in hell or to perish, to be lost, ruined, destroyed

Compare this lost to the Old Testament ones… such as:
Ezekiel 34:4 lost (Brown/Driver/Briggs)
'âbad

• Perish, vanish, go astray, be destroyed.


• (Qal) - perish, die, be exterminated or perish, vanish (figuratively) or be lost, strayed


• (Piel) - to destroy, kill, cause to perish, to give up or to blot out, do away with, cause to vanish, (figuratively) or cause to stray, lose


• (Hiphil) - to destroy, put to death or of divine judgment or object name of kings (figuratively)

And all the other passages I used in the OT use 'âbad when referring to lost.

Revelation 12:7-9, 17
And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.

Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the rest of her offspring—those who obey God's commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus.

THE MULLIGAN - PART I

December 14th, 2006

THE MULLIGAN

Did you know… that of the fifty states in the US only fourteen contain an “M”? Did you know that more than twice that contain an “N”? Actually, those that contain an “N” are 33. Most people can’t name all fifty states in less than three minutes from memory. So to limit it to just those that contain “N’s” or “M’s” would be down-right impossible to do – name just the states that contain a “N” from memory in less than three minutes. NO CHEATING!

2006 is drawing to a close and with two a half weeks to go, I say “se la vee.” It has been a memorable year, to say the least, but to call a mulligan? NO! Wouldn’t it be great that mulligan’s applied to other areas instead of just kids play? A kid hits a ball in a tree – it’s a MULLIGAN!!! You walk to school with homework done but still at home – MULLINGAN!!! You’re talking to your boss and something just comes out wrong and its like you spilled boiling coffee of everyone’s eyeballs – MULLIGAN!!! Of course, mulligan is another way of saying “do over”, but it’s still the same thing. But did you know that mulligan’s don’t come anywhere near as often as they do when you are a child? Don’t get me wrong, I have a loving and generous bunch of friends and family, but I sit back and look at situations of others and hear stories of other people and you hear them cry “mulligan” and yet nothing is happening for them.

Proverbs 23:6-8
Do not eat the food of a stingy man, do not crave his delicacies; for he is the kind of man who is always thinking about the cost. "Eat and drink," he says to you, but his heart is not with you. You will vomit up the little you have eaten and will have wasted your compliments.

Proverbs 25:14-17
Like clouds and wind without rain is a man who boasts of gifts he does not give. Through patience a ruler can be persuaded, and a gentle tongue can break a bone. If you find honey, eat just enough - too much of it, and you will vomit. Seldom set foot in your neighbor's house - too much of you, and he will hate you.

Proverbs 26:11-12
As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly. Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.

Painting a Picture

November 16th, 2006 to November 28th


Painting a Picture

I have this CD that has a song by William Shatner on it and the song is pretty harsh in the end. It’s a love story gone bad, mainly about how he manipulates the woman who is in love with him. There is a particular line in the song that made me think about things. He said, “You painted me into what you wanted to see.” That made me think about how I paint Christ and God in my mind. How do I picture them? How do I work in my relationship? Do I think of them as angry all the time, thus I have to be submissive or I’ll be treated badly? Do I more or less look at them as rough around the edges? I mean, Christ DID come to serve, so shouldn’t he serve me? Do I look at Christ as a super-Holy person and I walk around in shame all the time because I fall short? Do I look at Christ as though he has some melancholy, calm attitude and should treat everything as though it were not a big deal? All of these questions have good and not so good aspects to them, so this quiet time is going to explore them. And the great thing is there will be some cool pictures to go with them.

The Angry Christ

People think it is a sin to be angry. Especially when they read a scripture like this:

Ephesians 4:25-32
Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

But note, it says "IN YOUR anger DO NOT SIN..." and you can just throw the emphasis all over the place except on the anger part and the meaning comes alive in all sorts of places. Now, we know Christ got angry and threw the tables at the temple... but check out this other scripture.

Mark 3:1-6
Another time he went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand up in front of everyone.”

Then Jesus asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they remained silent.

He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.

Jesus was angry at them, but he didn't withhold any opportunities from them. He wasn't a fiery inferno of laughter looking forward toward their demise. He was deeply distressed.

A Lackadaisical Christ

Is God a "Coke Machine," as my wife has put it, to crank out blessings? Punch in prayer and out comes whatever you ask for, whether you need it or not. Is God the "WHATEVER-MAN" that you envision? God is one of action. How is my faith supposed to be?

James 2:14-19
What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.

You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that… and shudder.

Now, what if instead of praying, I could just walk up to this vending machine and insert a prayer and it spit out the answer of when, where, etc. of how it would be answered to suit my little brain? Wouldn't that be GREAT?! But what's even better is that it doesn't work that way. If it did, it would take away the faith aspect. There are things out there that already exist that work just like this machine... but I won't say.

Luke 18:1-8
Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’

“For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!’”

And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

The Unrelatable Christ

"No one can understand how I feel..."

"Christ was tempted in every way, but HE didn't have to deal with the internet (or insert any other modern technology available)..."

"Why is it that I have to go this alone?"

Is God a God who can not relate to these situations? I think not. Think about this... from the very first verse of the Bible, God's been at work.

Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

So, is it possible that over time, God hasn't seen someone else go through the same experience, trial, or struggle? God created all the stars, planets, comets, gasses, plants, clouds, fruits, birds, cats, dogs, metals, liquids, different types of soils, meteors, and he also knows all the hairs on your head. We lose 100 to 125 hairs a day (normal hair loss for a person), so God is constantly checking in on MY HAIR!

Mark 4:1-12
Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water’s edge. He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said: “Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, multiplying thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times.”

Then Jesus said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables so that, ‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’”

Do I sometimes feel I see but don't get it? Do I hear it and not understand? YES. And so many times in the past I would simple just shake my head with a big fat Yes, I do understand or I do get it or I do agree, when in fact that I don't. I've changed that recently and it has helped me a GREAT deal. And the most amazing thing is that it hasn't caused the problems that I was so desperately afraid of getting into... which makes things so much easier to continue with saying I don't get it when I don't get it.

Acts 3:13-20

“The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus' name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see.”

"Now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Christ would suffer. Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus.”

Christ knows pain. He knows abandonment. He understands the feeling of grief, loneliness, tiredness, weakness, and having to do things you simply don't want to do, but have to do. Is Christ unrelatable? No.

The Roughed Up Christ

Actually, this picture was the hardest one to play with, simply due to the fact that I was "messing-up" Christ's look. But then as I thought about it, Christ spent a ton of time in the sun, probably had moles, not sure about the teeth, but a lost tooth isn't impossible... I messed up his hair and beard a little and darkened the areas under his eyes (the guy got up before the sun rose to pray...). It really is impossible to say that Christ looked like this or that, but my favorite picture is always the laughing Jesus, thus I used that for this QT (which has now gone over a week - but I've had others during this, so this one hasn't been straight through).

Jesus came to serve. He fed 5,000 men plus their families. And then he fed another 4,000 men and their families. He healed the sick, the bleeding woman, raised a couple of people from the dead, healed someone without even seeing the person, wept with a woman before raising her dead son, spit on dirt and gave someone their vision back, healed a lame guy by a pool so he could walk again, spit out demons from a guy into some pigs... and that's just off the top of my head.

People like being served. Over the last several weeks I have picked up two people and given them rides to places and neither one told me they were ungrateful, but quite the opposite, they were very thankful. All it did was take a little of my time to do it. Christ spent ALL his time serving. Even on the cross, he served his mother and he served one of the other dudes on the cross. Not bad for a guy bleeding to death in insurmountable pain. How do I know that Christ was serving at every opportunity he had?

Philippians 2:1-11
If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Maybe the problem in trying to be like Christ trying to be like God and not a servant. I guess I should serve more and more and more and not look for opportunities to be served to... Christ didn't look for opportunities to show how equal he was to God, but looked for opportunities to serve. That's what I should be doing. YATZEE!!!

I wonder if there was a picture, a paint by numbers picture, of Jesus, without any directions on how to paint him, how would he turn out? Would he look anything like those up above or would he be any different? The scary fact of the matter is that somewhere along the lines, my garbage is going to skew the image of what Christ really looks like. But one thing I did check out is this: The word paint (including painted) is used three times, all OT. And all are in reference to a woman putting on makeup. The first usage was when Jezebel was killed (2 Kings 9:30), the second time was used in Jeremiah 4, and here's the third usage:

Ezekiel 23:36-41, 46-49
The LORD said to me: “Son of man, will you judge Oholah and Oholibah? Then confront them with their detestable practices, for they have committed adultery and blood is on their hands. They committed adultery with their idols; they even sacrificed their children, whom they bore to me, as food for them. They have also done this to me: At that same time they defiled my sanctuary and desecrated my Sabbaths. On the very day they sacrificed their children to their idols, they entered my sanctuary and desecrated it. That is what they did in my house.”

"They even sent messengers for men who came from far away, and when they arrived you bathed yourself for them, painted your eyes and put on your jewelry. You sat on an elegant couch, with a table spread before it on which you had placed the incense and oil that belonged to me.”

“This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Bring a mob against them and give them over to terror and plunder. The mob will stone them and cut them down with their swords; they will kill their sons and daughters and burn down their houses.”

“So I will put an end to lewdness in the land, that all women may take warning and not imitate you. You will suffer the penalty for your lewdness and bear the consequences of your sins of idolatry. Then you will know that I am the Sovereign LORD.”

Of course, what is abortion? It is sacrificing a child for a better lifestyle. "I can't afford a child right now," is generally what is said or the excuse... and thus it is a sacrifice to the "Money God." That's just what I see there. I can paint myself wrong and pay the consequence. I can paint Christ wrong and pay the consequence. But the only way that this thing can be painted correctly is the right tools. But that's a separate QT all together. Johnny Out.

The Book of Joel

November 27th, 2006

The Book of Joel

The word of the LORD that came to Joel son of Pethuel.

Hear this, you elders; listen, all who live in the land. Has anything like this ever happened in your days or in the days of your ancestors? Tell it to your children, and let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation. What the locust swarm has left the great locusts have eaten; what the great locusts have left the young locusts have eaten; what the young locusts have left other locusts have eaten. Wake up, you drunkards, and weep! Wail, all you drinkers of wine; wail because of the new wine, for it has been snatched from your lips. A nation has invaded my land, a mighty army without number; it has the teeth of a lion, the fangs of a lioness. It has laid waste my vines and ruined my fig trees. It has stripped off their bark and thrown it away, leaving their branches white. Mourn like a virgin in sackcloth grieving for the betrothed of her youth. Grain offerings and drink offerings are cut off from the house of the LORD. The priests are in mourning, those who minister before the LORD. The fields are ruined, the ground is dried up; the grain is destroyed, the new wine is dried up, the olive oil fails. Despair, you farmers, wail, you vine growers; grieve for the wheat and the barley, because the harvest of the field is destroyed. The vine is dried up and the fig tree is withered; the pomegranate, the palm and the apple tree— all the trees of the field—are dried up. Surely the people's joy is withered away. Put on sackcloth, you priests, and mourn; wail, you who minister before the altar. Come, spend the night in sackcloth, you who minister before my God; for the grain offerings and drink offerings are withheld from the house of your God. Declare a holy fast; call a sacred assembly. Summon the elders and all who live in the land to the house of the LORD your God, and cry out to the LORD. Alas for that day! For the day of the LORD is near; it will come like destruction from the Almighty. Has not the food been cut off before our very eyes— joy and gladness from the house of our God? The seeds are shriveled beneath the clods. The storehouses are in ruins, the granaries have been broken down, for the grain has dried up. How the cattle moan! The herds mill about because they have no pasture; even the flocks of sheep are suffering. To you, LORD, I call, for fire has devoured the pastures in the wilderness and flames have burned up all the trees of the field. Even the wild animals pant for you; the streams of water have dried up and fire has devoured the pastures in the wilderness. Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill. Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming. It is close at hand— a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness. Like dawn spreading across the mountains a large and mighty army comes, such as never was of old nor ever will be in ages to come. Before them fire devours, behind them a flame blazes. Before them the land is like the garden of Eden, behind them, a desert waste— nothing escapes them. They have the appearance of horses; they gallop along like cavalry. With a noise like that of chariots they leap over the mountaintops, like a crackling fire consuming stubble, like a mighty army drawn up for battle. At the sight of them, nations are in anguish; every face turns pale. They charge like warriors; they scale walls like soldiers. They all march in line, not swerving from their course. They do not jostle each other; each marches straight ahead. They plunge through defenses without breaking ranks. They rush upon the city; they run along the wall. They climb into the houses; like thieves they enter through the windows. Before them the earth shakes, the heavens tremble, the sun and moon are darkened, and the stars no longer shine. The LORD thunders at the head of his army; his forces are beyond number, and mighty is the army that obeys his command. The day of the LORD is great; it is dreadful. Who can endure it? “Even now,” declares the LORD, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.” Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity. Who knows? He may turn and relent and leave behind a blessing— grain offerings and drink offerings for the LORD your God. Blow the trumpet in Zion, declare a holy fast, call a sacred assembly. Gather the people, consecrate the assembly; bring together the elders, gather the children, those nursing at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room and the bride her chamber. Let the priests, who minister before the LORD, weep between the portico and the altar. Let them say, “Spare your people, LORD. Do not make your inheritance an object of scorn, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’” Then the LORD was jealous for his land and took pity on his people. The LORD replied to them: “I am sending you grain, new wine and olive oil, enough to satisfy you fully; never again will I make you an object of scorn to the nations. “I will drive the northern horde far from you, pushing it into a parched and barren land; its eastern ranks will drown in the Dead Sea and its western ranks in the Mediterranean Sea. And its stench will go up; its smell will rise.” Surely he has done great things! Do not be afraid, land of Judah; be glad and rejoice. Surely the LORD has done great things! Do not be afraid, you wild animals, for the pastures in the wilderness are becoming green. The trees are bearing their fruit; the fig tree and the vine yield their riches. Be glad, people of Zion, rejoice in the LORD your God, for he has given you the autumn rains in righteousness. He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before. The threshing floors will be filled with grain; the vats will overflow with new wine and oil. I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten— the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm— my great army that I sent among you. You will have plenty to eat, until you are full, and you will praise the name of the LORD your God, who has worked wonders for you; never again will my people be shamed. Then you will know that I am in Israel, that I am the LORD your God, and that there is no other; never again will my people be shamed. And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days. I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the LORD has said, even among the survivors whom the LORD calls. “In those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will enter into judgment against them concerning my inheritance, my people Israel, for they scattered my people among the nations and divided up my land. They cast lots for my people and traded boys for prostitutes; they sold girls for wine that they might drink. Now what have you against me, Tyre and Sidon and all you regions of Philistia? Are you repaying me for something I have done? If you are paying me back, I will swiftly and speedily return on your own heads what you have done. For you took my silver and my gold and carried off my finest treasures to your temples. You sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks, that you might send them far from their homeland. See, I am going to rouse them out of the places to which you sold them, and I will return on your own heads what you have done. I will sell your sons and daughters to the people of Judah, and they will sell them to the Sabeans, a nation far away." The LORD has spoken. Proclaim this among the nations: Prepare for war! Rouse the warriors! Let all the fighting men draw near and attack. Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weakling say, “I am strong!” Come quickly, all you nations from every side, and assemble there. Bring down your warriors, LORD! “Let the nations be roused; let them advance into the Valley of Jehoshaphat, for there I will sit to judge all the nations on every side. Swing the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, trample the grapes, for the winepress is full and the vats overflow— so great is their wickedness!” Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. The sun and moon will be darkened, and the stars no longer shine. The LORD will roar from Zion and thunder from Jerusalem; the earth and the heavens will tremble. But the LORD will be a refuge for his people, a stronghold for the people of Israel. “Then you will know that I, the LORD your God, dwell in Zion, my holy hill. Jerusalem will be holy; never again will foreigners invade her. In that day the mountains will drip new wine, and the hills will flow with milk; all the ravines of Judah will run with water. A fountain will flow out of the LORD's house and will water the valley of acacias. But Egypt will be desolate, Edom a desert waste, because of violence done to the people of Judah, in whose land they shed innocent blood. Judah will be inhabited forever and Jerusalem through all generations. Shall I leave their innocent blood unpunished? No, I will not.” The LORD dwells in Zion!

My Call to Ministry?

What is my call to Ministry?

Seriously, I don’t know. I haven’t aspired to be some big time preacher that people come from all around the world just to hear me speak. If that is God’s will for me, then so be it. I would prefer something on a much smaller scale. But before I go into what I prefer, let me start with what I know what God has already given me for my ministry:

• To lead my wife and make her radiant.
• To raise up my son in the LORD and to not exasperate him.

I have found that I do well in large and small groups; again, I prefer the smaller groups. I helped out on Thursday with the poor and homeless which really helped my heart. It really showed me that even though I don’t have much, I have a tremendous amount that God has blessed me with and that I need to share it more with others. My ministry is to lead my family to make sure that they understand these things. Throughout the year, we receive gifts from God, people fight for toys and game systems, but who is fighting for the homeless?

1st Timothy 6:3-10
If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, he is conceited and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between men of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.

But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

Do you want more than food and clothes? Then maybe that is a problem for you… The Bible says that the love of money is the root of ALL KINDS OF EVIL. And because of it, it pulls people away from God and into worldly possessions. My call to the ministry is to keep my family focused on God in a nation where churches are beginning to close down one after another as America begins to shut its doors on God and open it’s doors to with welcome arms to sin. I would much rather be “barely making it” and be right with God than have a full bank account and have a household on fire.

Starting Over

1st Corinthians 13 says:
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.

And then, in 1st John 4 is says that God is love. So then it can be said:
God is patient, God is kind. He does not envy, He does not boast, He is not proud. He is not rude, He is not self-seeking, He is not easily angered, He keeps no record of wrongs. God does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. God always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. God never fails.

Now the real struggle begins with this. I’m supposed to imitate God in every way, right? Christ is my example, Christ is God, therefore I am to imitate God.

Johnny is patient, Johnny is kind. He does not envy, He does not boast, He is not proud. He is not rude, He is not self-seeking, He is not easily angered, He keeps no record of wrongs. Johnny does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. Johnny always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Johnny never fails.

There are many things wrong with that paragraph, but I’m working on it. How much did I trust today? Was I self-seeking? Did I rejoice in someone’s misfortune? Did I bring up old issues from the past? Have I given up on hope? Have I stopped trying? Did I allow myself to FAIL? If I answer yes to any these, then I’m saying a big no to imitating God in that area. As my Dad has once said, “you don’t have to wait till January 1st to start things over, you can just start now.” I think that’s a pretty good statement.

Thanksgiving Devotional

This is going to be a big one this year. A throw down... TWO TURKEYS! That would be me and Scott White... seriously, we will have two Thanksgiving Turkeys at this shin-dig, there will be lots of fun and lots of food. For a map of the location of the event, Click here: Map. This is going to be a wonderful and fun thing. I hope to see you there!

The Book of Nahum

November 12th, 2006

The Book of Nahum

An oracle concerning Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite.

The LORD is a jealous and avenging God; the LORD takes vengeance and is filled with wrath. The LORD takes vengeance on his foes and maintains his wrath against his enemies. The LORD is slow to anger and great in power; the LORD will not leave the guilty unpunished. His way is in the whirlwind and the storm, and clouds are the dust of his feet. He rebukes the sea and dries it up; he makes all the rivers run dry. Bashan and Carmel wither and the blossoms of Lebanon fade. The mountains quake before him and the hills melt away. The earth trembles at his presence, the world and all who live in it. Who can withstand his indignation? Who can endure his fierce anger? His wrath is poured out like fire; the rocks are shattered before him. The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him, but with an overwhelming flood he will make an end of Nineveh; he will pursue his foes into darkness. Whatever they plot against the LORD he will bring to an end; trouble will not come a second time. They will be entangled among thorns and drunk from their wine; they will be consumed like dry stubble. From you, O Nineveh, has one come forth who plots evil against the LORD and counsels wickedness. This is what the LORD says: “Although they have allies and are numerous, they will be cut off and pass away. Although I have afflicted you, O Judah, I will afflict you no more. Now I will break their yoke from your neck and tear your shackles away.” The LORD has given a command concerning you, Nineveh: “You will have no descendants to bear your name. I will destroy the carved images and cast idols that are in the temple of your gods. I will prepare your grave, for you are vile.” Look, there on the mountains, the feet of one who brings good news, who proclaims peace! Celebrate your festivals, O Judah, and fulfill your vows. No more will the wicked invade you; they will be completely destroyed.

An attacker advances against you, Nineveh. Guard the fortress, watch the road, brace yourselves, marshal all your strength! The LORD will restore the splendor of Jacob like the splendor of Israel, though destroyers have laid them waste and have ruined their vines. The shields of his soldiers are red; the warriors are clad in scarlet. The metal on the chariots flashes on the day they are made ready; the spears of pine are brandished. The chariots storm through the streets, rushing back and forth through the squares. They look like flaming torches; they dart about like lightning. He summons his picked troops, yet they stumble on their way. They dash to the city wall; the protective shield is put in place. The river gates are thrown open and the palace collapses. It is decreed that the city be exiled and carried away. Its slave girls moan like doves and beat upon their breasts. Nineveh is like a pool, and its water is draining away. “Stop! Stop!” they cry, but no one turns back. Plunder the silver! Plunder the gold! The supply is endless, the wealth from all its treasures! She is pillaged, plundered, stripped! Hearts melt, knees give way, bodies tremble, every face grows pale. Where now is the lions’ den, the place where they fed their young, where the lion and lioness went, and the cubs, with nothing to fear? The lion killed enough for his cubs and strangled the prey for his mate, filling his lairs with the kill and his dens with the prey. “I am against you,” declares the LORD Almighty. “I will burn up your chariots in smoke, and the sword will devour your young lions. I will leave you no prey on the earth. The voices of your messengers will no longer be heard.”

Woe to the city of blood, full of lies, full of plunder, never without victims! The crack of whips, the clatter of wheels, galloping horses and jolting chariots! Charging cavalry, flashing swords and glittering spears! Many casualties, piles of dead, bodies without number, people stumbling over the corpses- all because of the wanton lust of a harlot, alluring, the mistress of sorceries, who enslaved nations by her prostitution and peoples by her witchcraft. “I am against you,” declares the LORD Almighty. “I will lift your skirts over your face. I will show the nations your nakedness and the kingdoms your shame. I will pelt you with filth, I will treat you with contempt and make you a spectacle. All who see you will flee from you and say, ‘Nineveh is in ruins—who will mourn for her?’ Where can I find anyone to comfort you?” Are you better than Thebes, situated on the Nile, with water around her? The river was her defense, the waters her wall. Cush and Egypt were her boundless strength; Put and Libya were among her allies. Yet she was taken captive and went into exile. Her infants were dashed to pieces at the head of every street. Lots were cast for her nobles, and all her great men were put in chains. You too will become drunk; you will go into hiding and seek refuge from the enemy. All your fortresses are like fig trees with their first ripe fruit; when they are shaken, the figs fall into the mouth of the eater. Look at your troops— they are all women! The gates of your land are wide open to your enemies; fire has consumed their bars. Draw water for the siege, strengthen your defenses! Work the clay, tread the mortar, repair the brickwork! There the fire will devour you; the sword will cut you down and, like grasshoppers, consume you. Multiply like grasshoppers, multiply like locusts! You have increased the number of your merchants till they are more than the stars of the sky, but like locusts they strip the land and then fly away. Your guards are like locusts, your officials like swarms of locusts that settle in the walls on a cold day— but when the sun appears they fly away, and no one knows where. O king of Assyria, your shepherds slumber; your nobles lie down to rest. Your people are scattered on the mountains with no one to gather them. Nothing can heal your wound; your injury is fatal. Everyone who hears the news about you claps his hands at your fall, for who has not felt your endless cruelty?

Nahum 1:14 carved images:
Pesel (noun)

• Idol, image

Nahum 1:14 cast idols:
Massêkâh (noun)

• A pouring, libation, molten metal, cast image, drink offering


• Libation (with covenant sacrifice)


• Molten metal, molten image, molten gods


• Web, covering, veil, woven stuff

So, I guess this begs the question… what is a carved image or a cast idol (as if the Hebrew definition didn’t define it enough)? I want to check some definitions…

Idol (noun):

• An image or other material object representing a deity to which religious worship is addressed.


• An image of a deity other than God.


• The deity itself.

From what I can gather, an image and an idol are fairly close in name when it comes to cast idol and carved image… both Hebrew definitions show image and idol in them. So you can turn things around and say a carved idol and a cast image, and not be wrong in the slightest. Statues are images, like the Statue of Liberty… Mount Rushmore… Washington Monument… there are images on money… images on a computer… sometimes there are images in windows, like stained-glass windows… there are images on the television… I can create images in my mind when I listen to music… interesting. Things and circumstances can create images that aren’t actually there. For example, a smell can trigger a vision or memory in my mind. I smell bacon, and I think, “I LOVE bacon…” I smell perfume and it reminds me of my wife… I smell cigarette smoke, and I think of all the times that I have smoked over my lifetime… I can touch something and it can remind me of something… a flower can provoke memory. A wrench can provoke hatred. Leather can create a sensation of success.

Now this says: The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him… God is a refuge. He cares for those who turn to HIM and not to sidekick angel next to him. Little me angel can’t do a thing without God giving him the OK. Don’t pray to the angel. The Bible doesn’t say anything good about praying to them. In fact, it says to NOT pray to the angels. And praying to dead relatives doesn’t make much sense, either. I would think those relatives would want you to turn to the one true good thing in this cosmos, God. My great, great grandfather may have been a good man… I don’t know. But what I do know is that he is like me in one easy and simple way: HE’S NOT PERFECT. God is perfect. Pray to God. It doesn’t make sense to pray to someone who can’t do anything for anyone. God is the only one who can. Aunt Jemima can’t. The ghost of Cy Young can’t. The spirit of Babe Ruth can’t. Both of my grandfathers can’t. And when I die, PLEASE don’t pray to me. PRAY to GOD. I’m not perfect, God is.

Sometimes it is good for someone to study their own religion from an outside perspective to grasp the goodness and quality of it, should it exist. Johnny Out.

The Book of Habakkuk

November 10th, 2006

The Book of Habakkuk

The prophecy that Habakkuk the prophet received.

How long, LORD, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not save? Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoing? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds. Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails. The wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted. “Look at the nations and watch… and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told. I am raising up the Babylonians, that ruthless and impetuous people, who sweep across the whole earth to seize dwellings not their own. They are a feared and dreaded people; they are a law to themselves and promote their own honor. Their horses are swifter than leopards, fiercer than wolves at dusk. Their cavalry gallops headlong; their horsemen come from afar. They fly like a vulture swooping to devour; they all come bent on violence. Their hordes advance like a desert wind and gather prisoners like sand. They mock kings and scoff at rulers. They laugh at all fortified cities; by building earthen ramps they capture them. Then they sweep past like the wind and go on… guilty people, whose own strength is their god.” LORD, are you not from everlasting? My God, my Holy One, you will never die. You, LORD, have appointed them to execute judgment; you, my Rock, have ordained them to punish. Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrongdoing. Why then do you tolerate the treacherous? Why are you silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves? You have made people like the fish in the sea, like the sea creatures that have no ruler. The wicked foe pulls all of them up with hooks, he catches them in his net, he gathers them up in his dragnet; and so he rejoices and is glad. Therefore he sacrifices to his net and burns incense to his dragnet, for by his net he lives in luxury and enjoys the choicest food. Is he to keep on emptying his net, destroying nations without mercy? I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what he will say to me, and what answer I am to give to this complaint. Then the LORD replied: “Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay. See, he is puffed up; his desires are not upright, but the righteous will live by their faithfulness… indeed, wine betrays him; he is arrogant and never at rest. Because he is as greedy as the grave and like death is never satisfied, he gathers to himself all the nations and takes captive all the peoples. Will not all of them taunt him with ridicule and scorn, saying, ‘Woe to him who piles up stolen goods and makes himself wealthy by extortion! How long must this go on?’ Will not your creditors suddenly arise? Will they not wake up and make you tremble? Then you will become their prey. Because you have plundered many nations, the peoples who are left will plunder you. For you have shed human blood; you have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them. Woe to him who builds his house by unjust gain, setting his nest on high to escape the clutches of ruin! You have plotted the ruin of many peoples, shaming your own house and forfeiting your life. The stones of the wall will cry out, and the beams of the woodwork will echo it. Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed and establishes a town by injustice! Has not the LORD Almighty determined that the people’s labor is only fuel for the fire, that the nations exhaust themselves for nothing? For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbors, pouring it from the wineskin till they are drunk, so that he can gaze on their naked bodies! You will be filled with shame instead of glory. Now it is your turn! Drink and let your nakedness be exposed! The cup from the LORD’s right hand is coming around to you, and disgrace will cover your glory. The violence you have done to Lebanon will overwhelm you, and your destruction of animals will terrify you. For you have shed human blood; you have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them. Of what value is an idol that someone has carved? Or an image that teaches lies? For those who make them trust in their own creations; they make idols that cannot speak. Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Come to life!’ Or to lifeless stone, ‘Wake up!’ Can it give guidance? It is covered with gold and silver; there is no breath in it. The LORD is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him.

A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet. On shigionoth.

LORD, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, LORD. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy. God came from Teman, the Holy One from Mount Paran. His glory covered the heavens and his praise filled the earth. His splendor was like the sunrise; rays flashed from his hand, where his power was hidden. Plague went before him; pestilence followed his steps. He stood, and shook the earth; he looked, and made the nations tremble. The ancient mountains crumbled and the age-old hills collapsed - but he marches on forever. I saw the tents of Cushan in distress, the dwellings of Midian in anguish. Were you angry with the rivers, LORD? Was your wrath against the streams? Did you rage against the sea when you rode your horses and your chariots to victory? You uncovered your bow, you called for many arrows. You split the earth with rivers; the mountains saw you and writhed. Torrents of water swept by; the deep roared and lifted its waves on high. Sun and moon stood still in the heavens at the glint of your flying arrows, at the lightning of your flashing spear. In wrath you strode through the earth and in anger you threshed the nations. You came out to deliver your people, to save your anointed one. You crushed the leader of the land of wickedness, you stripped him from head to foot. With his own spear you pierced his head when his warriors stormed out to scatter us, gloating as though about to devour the wretched who were in hiding. You trampled the sea with your horses, churning the great waters. I heard and my heart pounded, my lips quivered at the sound; decay crept into my bones, and my legs trembled. Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity to come on the nation invading us. Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights. For the director of music. On my stringed instruments.

I just want to think about that last part… “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.”

Green Eggs and Turkey

November 9th, 2006

Green Eggs and Turkey

This is something I’ve been thinking and swirling around in my head. School work has really kept me from doing my postings like I would like, but alas… I might just be getting back into the habit of posting again. But then again, I shouldn’t count my green eggs before they hatch (note to Don: I chose the title BEFORE I wrote this one). But one evening I was heading home from a midweek and deep in thought about the lesson, the idea of eggs came to mind.

There are a number of ways a person can eat eggs in the morning, really so many that I couldn’t list them here without sounding like that guy from Forest Gump. But I want to check out four types: Scrambled, Over-Hard, Over-Medium, and Over-Easy.

Now, of course, the eggs are a metaphor for something… and that is, of course, life. The first one, scrambled is a great way to eat eggs. I mean, you can throw all sorts of garbage in there, ham (or turkey), bacon, cheese, French fries, bits of whatever you ate last night, and chances are, it will still taste good. But when I live my life the scrambled way, it doesn’t seem to work out to well.

Ephesians 4:11-16
It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

I look at this scripture and it just made me think how scrambled eggs and a tossed salad have so many similarities and yet are completely different. When an egg is scrambled, there is no defined shape to it. It’s not in a circular shape, oval, or anything like that… it’s just a “mess of eggs”. I do not want my life to be a mess of eggs.

Well, what about eggs done over hard.

Genesis 27:38-40
Esau said to his father, “Do you have only one blessing, my father? Bless me too, my father!” Then Esau wept aloud. His father Isaac answered him, “Your dwelling will be away from the earth's richness, away from the dew of heaven above. You will live by the sword and you will serve your brother. But when you grow restless, you will throw his yoke from off your neck.”

It sure sounds like eggs over-hard to me. And what did God do to the Israelites in Egypt? He broke that HARD yoke of the Egyptians and set them free…

Now, I don’t mind having eggs over hard for breakfast. It’s pretty tasty, actually. You can do a lot with that type of egg-style. You can put it on toasted bread, mayo, and lettuce and you have a wonderful breakfast sandwich. And with the semi-circular shape, it generally fits onto the bread quite well. For a sweeter taste, add butter to the bread and let it melt a little before putting it together…

So, instead of a scrambled or messed up lifestyle, I have a lifestyle where I choose to do it the hard way. The American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms defines “The Hard Way” simply as learning things through bad or difficult experiences. Should I live a lifestyle “over-hard”, that would mean I would simply push through those experiences on my own.

Eggs over medium… a lot of goop in the middle, but if it’s still warm and housed just right, then it’s OK. I just hate it when it makes a mess of the plate. Have you ever taken a egg yoke cooked medium and plop it in your mouth, still warm? It’s just great to taste…

I tend to think of an “egg over medium” mindset as someone still trying to do the “hokey-pokey” in a Christian walk. They’re putting themselves in and out, in and out, and shaking all about… it’s a mess all over the plate. A “over-medium” egg is like an egg that couldn’t make up its mind when it was cooked… part hard/part easy – it’s a double minded egg.

James 1:2-8
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.

An over-medium lifestyle isn’t worth poking around in (pun intended). Seriously, trying to do the part-easy/part-hard isn’t going to do me any favors. I can’t live a medium lifestyle because medium is still part HARD, but the thing is, with medium, the lie in the lifestyle is that you’re in and out so much, you’ll just dance yourself into the ground trying to cover up your tracks… very tiresome keeping on the Christian game-face when the game is in intermission.

I’ll be straight up and honest: I don’t like my eggs over easy. There’s just too much GOO! The guts of the egg are splurged right out onto the plate and that’s when I started to think about eating them. The yokes giggle like a bowl full of jelly. And they don’t look a thing like Santa Claus. They do have one saving quality about them, though. My wife makes this “birds in a bucket” or whatever its called (way off on the name, I know… ask her next time you see her) and it requires that the eggs be over-easy. And I’ll eat that little breakfast dish.

But as far as a lifestyle, off these four, this is the one to go with… JC takes the hard yokes, the scrambled ones, even the medium ones… and makes them easy. Well, maybe I’m reading a little into it, but it does say that HIS yoke is easy, and if I send my stuff to God, pray to him, give him all my garbage, struggles, and burdens… then I will have rest. And that’s a promise from JC himself.

Matthew 11:25-30
At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure. All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

So, the moral of all this is: EAT EGGS OVER EASY

Sorry Don, nothing about turkeys in here… except for maybe me, but we already knew that…