Biblical Training Pants

August 30th, 2006

Today, I have a doctor’s appointment. I hope to be admitted to the hospital. I really want to be admitted. And this picture should just help dictate or give an idea as to why:

(Caption: Not All Pain is Gain)

Romans 8:18-21
I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.

We are a frustrated people. And why are we a frustrated people? Well, it goes back to the beginning, Adam and Eve, creation, the pains of childbirth to the present time… And maybe some would want to blame Eve for everything, or both of them, but either by trial or by reaping that of what was sown, something is to be learned from the experience one has. Otherwise, why does God allow the experience?

Job 4:8
As I have observed, those who plow evil and those who sow trouble reap it.

Galatians 6:7-10
Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

Here we see that we reap what we sow…

2nd Peter 1:3-9
His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.

2nd Timothy 3:16-17
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

But, a trial also increases knowledge. It increases self-control. It increases perseverance and godliness and brotherly kindness and ultimately love. Sometimes it is hard to see at the time. But, it is training in righteousness, which is where 2nd Timothy comes in. And even though a trial isn’t necessarily “God-Breathed”, the Bible does say that his people will go through them, and 2nd Timothy is scripture in itself, making it from God. Anyway, I don’t know if this has helped anyone else, but it has helped me, and that’s what a quiet time is for (maybe I’m selfish in this, but hey, it’s my relationship with God), so Johnny Out.

A Meek Inheritance

August 29th, 2006

1st Peter 5:5-9
Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

You know, I would say that I try to do this. And then Yoda would say there is no try, there is do or do not… and then I would say, shut up. And why would I say that? It is because I am not humble.

1st Peter 5:5 humble:

tap-i-nos'

• not rising far from the ground
• metaphorically - as a condition, lowly, of low degree - brought low with grief, depressed - lowly in spirit, humble - in a bad sense, deporting one’s self abjectly, deferring servilely to others
• Depressed, that is, (figuratively) humiliated (in circumstances or disposition): - base, cast down, humble, of low degree (estate), lowly.

Now, I have a cane that I HATE. And why do I hate it? I’m 32 and I have a cane. If that’s not pride, then I don’t know what pride is. I think it all goes to how I want to be normal. I’m tired of being sick. I went to school today without my cane. My wife asked me to name my cane, and I decided to call it “Abel”. I thought it was fitting. Her immediate thought was that it would help me get around easier… but it is really about Cain and Abel. Abel was a humble person, whereas Cain was not. And for me to humble out, I actually need my cane. AAAHHH, the IRONY. And with my cane, then I am able.

Proverbs 6:1-5
My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor, if you have struck hands in pledge for another, if you have been trapped by what you said, ensnared by the words of your mouth, then do this, my son, to free yourself, since you have fallen into your neighbor's hands: Go and humble yourself; press your plea with your neighbor! Allow no sleep to your eyes, no slumber to your eyelids. Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler.

Proverbs 3:34
He mocks proud mockers but gives grace to the humble.

Who gets the gift of grace? The humble get the gift.

James 4:6, 10
But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

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.”

Proverbs 3:34 humble: (I felt to check this out since it is quoted in the NT twice)
aw-nawv'

• Depressed (figuratively), in mind (gentle) or circumstances (needy, especially saintly): - humble, lowly, meek, poor
• poor, humble, afflicted, meek
• poor, needy
• poor and weak
• poor, weak and afflicted
• humble, lowly, meek

Other translations of the scripture:
He makes sport of the men of pride, but he gives grace to the gentle-hearted.
The LORD sneers at those who sneer at him, but he is kind to everyone who is humble.
He has no use for conceited people, but shows favor to those who are humble.

Now, is it possible to be afflicted, weak, depressed, needy, and poor and still be prideful? Yes. And how is this so? It is because the key part hinges on meekness. And what is meekness?

Meek (adj.):

• Showing patience and humility; gentle.
• Easily imposed on; submissive.
• Humbly patient or docile, as under provocation from others.
• Overly submissive or compliant; spiritless; tame.

Now, meekness is essential. I don’t have it. Christ did. When I think of meekness, I tend to think of this scripture first. It hangs in my mind.

Matthew 8:5-13
When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed and in terrible suffering.”

Jesus said to him, “I will go and heal him.”

The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him, “I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! It will be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant was healed at that very hour.

Luke 7:1-10
When Jesus had finished saying all this in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. There a centurion's servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die. The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant. When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, “This man deserves to have you do this, because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue.” So Jesus went with them. He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.” Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well.

Now, you combine the two stories from Matthew and Luke and the puzzle comes together quite well. Christ was MEEK enough to go. He could have made a case as to why he needed to stay where he was at, to heal other people, to do other things, he wasn’t here to take care Roman soldiers, but the Jews… but the fact is, he started to go. And the centurion was humble enough, so humble that Christ said he had “Great Faith.” The Centurion was meek in himself to send word to tell Christ not to come, but just give word. It was almost a battle of meekness between the two.

(Centurion)
A centuria was originally a division consisting of a hundred things of a kind; and thence came to mean any division, whether consisting of a hundred or not. In military language it meant a division of troops, a company, not necessarily of a hundred, the captain of which was called centurio. The numbers of a century varied from about fifty to a hundred.

How great is it to be meek? The bible says this:

Matthew 5:5
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

Honestly, I don’t know what it means to inherit the earth. I don’t know if I would want this place, to be honest with you. I would much rather be in heaven, without pain, and with the people I love. But Christ says it, so it must be a good thing, in whatever way that it is. And for that, I say a loud AMEN! Johnny Out.

The Pain of the Potter

August 28th, 2006

Funny… during all this, I am in the midst of getting a root canal on a molar. Tonight, whatever temporary thing was stuck in it fell out. It really is funny. I mean, I can’t help but laugh about the whole thing. At least my tooth takes my mind off my leg. I talked to a good friend of mine, Jeff, earlier today who encouraged me a great deal. And I can’t help but jump back into the book of Job which I have become so frequent in recent months. Here is an interesting note: “Pain” is mentioned only four times. You add “painful” for another two times in Job.

Job 2:7-8
So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes.

I don’t think I have mentioned this to anyone, but recently I did a little acting. That’s right, I played the wife of Job in my class over the summer. I guess that made me a what – supporting actress or actor… not really sure, there.

Now, I know painful is an adjective, and I know that the word is implicating that of hurt or pain. But let’s look at it the definition anyway.

Painful (adj.):

• Laborious; exacting; difficult.
• Causing misery or pain or distress.
• Exceptionally bad or displeasing.
• Causing physical discomfort.
  

Job 2:7 painful:
shekh-een'
From an unused root probably meaning to burn; inflammation, that is, an ulcer: - boil, botch.

Now, here is Job, he’s in all this pain. It is burning pain, according to the Hebrew. And it hurts so bad, that he is willing to take glass and scrape his skin to do something to the sores that, in his mind, helps in some way. Have you ever hurt in a spot SO BAD that you felt that cutting out the area might just make things all better, at least in the long run? I have. And I can relate to job and the pottery scraping thing.

Pain (noun):

• An unpleasant sensation occurring in varying degrees of severity as a consequence of injury, disease, or emotional disorder.
• Suffering or distress.

Job 6:10 pain:
kheel, khee-law'
A throe (especially of childbirth): - pain, pang, sorrow.

Job 6:8-10
“Oh, that I might have my request, that God would grant what I hope for, that God would be willing to crush me, to let loose his hand and cut me off! Then I would still have this consolation - my joy in unrelenting pain - that I had not denied the words of the Holy One.”

1st Peter 4:12-13
Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.

AAA-HHHAAA!!!... First off… what sin did Job do to get the sores on his body? What sin did Job commit for his family to be killed and his wealth to be taken away? He didn’t sin. It was a trial. A painful trial, at that. It wasn’t pleasant. And as I had noted in a previous time, Job was considered patient in his suffering. I personally don’t feel the need to look it up. I think it is in James, should you want to check it out. But here I am… a painful trial. Should I be surprised by it? Well, no. Although, after a good 26 months of the garbage, I am becoming weary about having to go through it all. I’m tired.

1st Peter 4:12 painful trial:
poo'-ro-sis
Ignition, that is, (specifically) smelting (figuratively conflagration, calamity as a test): - burning, trial.

Now… I am going to go to the dictionary to define trial, and doing so, I saw a definition for trial in regards to trial with that of a kiln. It stuck in my mind. The reason is due to the many references in the bible to pottery. Before the definition and my thoughts, the scriptures:

Romans 9:19-21
One of you will say to me: “Then why does God still blame us? For who resists his will?” But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? “Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’” Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?

1st Corinthians 4:5-12
For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

Jeremiah 18:1-6
This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD: “Go down to the potter’s house, and there I will give you my message.” So I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him. Then the word of the LORD came to me: “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does?” declares the LORD. “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.”

2nd Timothy 2:20-21
In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble. If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.

1st Peter 1:3-9
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade - kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith - of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire - may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Now, these scriptures all have something in common. That’s right, the BIBLE. But more that, they are all talking about be refined. In most cases, they have something to do with clay: the potter. In most cases, the potter melds the clay into whatever he wants. Being an art major for many years, I know a thing or two about clay. It’s messy. It doesn’t want to do what you want it to do. You have to be patient with it. And when you finally get it to where you want it, you have to prep the kiln. The kiln is the fiery oven in which you cook the clay, the pottery, in. This thing gets really, really hot. And to prepare it, you have trials in which to get it ready, to make sure you do not ruin the pottery. Because, if you get the pottery in at a temperature too low, it will crack and the pottery will be useless. And if pottery is put in at a temperature too high, it will also crack and the pottery will be useless.

Trial (noun):

• Ceramics. a piece of ceramic material used to try the heat of a kiln and the progress of the firing of its contents.
  

I never thought my art knowledge would be used in this way… but alas, something interesting to show for my associates degree. So I walk away today encouraged, by Jeff, by CC and Kashara, by Ben and Erica, and numerous others… hey, by my teachers at Mountain View College, I actually used something tonight! Anyway… Johnny Out.

A Deliberate Quiet Time

August 26th, 2006

This is the first quiet time I have had in a while. I started missing due to my illness, the fuzzy headedness that I get from my medication, and then I stopped having them out of spite. To put it plainly, I just got angry with God. I felt that even though he could do anything he wanted, he created the heavens and the earth, the birds of the air and the creatures of the ground, he could do all these things… and I’m in pain and he CAN’T take it away. I have felt that he can not work in my situation. I felt that he could but I have lost that feeling. Doubt isn’t uncommon though, not in my situation or anyone else who faces a trial. It’s what that person does in the face of doubt that will hopefully define their character. And I’ll be honest, I’m not puffing myself up to say that I’ve “arrived” at some new level of Christianity in my life. The road I still have ahead of me is rough and bumpy, and to say that I won’t doubt God again, if not soon, then later, would be unreal and simply not in touch with reality.

Hebrews 10:26-31
If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge his people.” It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Deliberately (adverb):

• With intention; in an intentional manner.

Intention (noun):

• A course of action that one intends to follow.


• An act of intending; a volition that you intend to carry out.

Hebrews 10:26 deliberately:
hek-oo-see'-oce
Voluntarily: - willfully, willingly.

Voluntarily (adj.):

• Out of your own free will.

This is just some things for me to think about as I struggle with my pain. And not just my pain, but when this passes and I am 45 years old and have another trial of whatever sorts, I still have to ask the question, am I going to stand up, be a volunteer for God or sin? Is my intention to do it God’s way or the sinful way? Because if I volunteer to not do it God’s way, knowing good and well what God’s way is, then there is only a fearful expectation left for me. Do I want God’s love or God’s wrath? Just a nugget for the day… Johnny Out.

Friendship Study - Edition #18: Desecration on the Sabbath

August 18th, 2006

Friendship Study – Edition #18: Desecration on the Sabbath

“Kind words can be short and easy to speak but their echoes are truly endless.”
Mother Teresa

Leviticus 19:30-32
“‘Observe my Sabbaths and have reverence for my sanctuary. I am the LORD. Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God. Rise in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God. I am the LORD.’”

Sabbath (noun):

1. A day of rest and worship: Sunday for most Christians; Saturday for the Jews and a few Christians; Friday for Muslims

Elderly (adj.):

1. Being past middle age and approaching old age; rather old.


2. Of, relating to, or characteristic of older persons or life in later years.


3. Advanced in years.

Revere (verb):

1. To regard with awe, deference, and devotion.

Ephesians 5:21
Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Hebrews 12:14-17, 25-29
Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. He could bring about no change of mind, though he sought the blessing with tears.

See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken - that is, created things - so that what cannot be shaken may remain.

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.”

1st Peter 3:1-4
Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.

Mark 2:23-28
One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain. The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?”

He answered, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need? In the days of Abiathar the high priest, he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.”

Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”

Mark 2:23 Sabbath:
sab'-bat-on
The Sabbath (that is, Shabbath), or day of weekly repose from secular avocations (also the observance or institution itself); by extension a se'nnight, that is, the interval between two Sabbaths; likewise the plural in all the above applications: - sabbath (day), week.

Leviticus 19:30
shab-bawth'
Intermission, that is, (specifically) the Sabbath: - (+ every) sabbath.

Matthew 12:1-8
At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath.”

He answered, “Haven't you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread - which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests. Or haven’t you read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple desecrate the day and yet are innocent? I tell you that one greater than the temple is here. If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent. For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

Desecrate (verb):

1. To violate the sacredness of; profane.


2. Violate the sacred character of a place or language.


3. Remove the consecration from a person or an object.

OK, I know I’ve thrown a lot of scripture, definitions, and Greek and Hebrew, but I was just trying to get a good understand of this all. Now, a priest worked on the Sabbath. They cleansed people from their sin. They also circumcised the children. They were breaking the “God’s Law” by doing God’s work. An oxymoron of sorts to the Jews but it was the right thing to do. And should a Christian not do God’s work on “the Sabbath” just because it is Sunday, or Saturday… or Tuesday, for that matter? No, originally, the Sabbath was made for us, not the other way around. And what that means, is God set aside for me to worship him. And what day can I worship God now? Can I worship on Tuesday? Can I worship on Friday? Heaven forbid that I might worship on Monday. The freedom is there to worship on all days, every moment I am awake, I can worship God. I can also do the work of God on any given day and it wouldn’t be violating God’s Law.

Consecration (noun):

1. A solemn commitment of your life or your time to some cherished purpose.


2. Sanctification of something by setting it apart (usually with religious rites) as dedicated to God.

Now at the end of Jesus’ prayer in John 17, he says this: My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified. Jesus died for me, so that I may be set apart, that I might be dedicated to God. Am I living a life that reflects that? He says for them I sanctify myself… He set himself apart so that I may too be set apart. That’s huge. That’s more than huge, that makes Mount Everest look like a molehill. That’s all the restaurants in Addison serving lunch to me at the same time, look like a snack (in case you didn’t know, Addison has more restaurants per square mile than anywhere else in the United States, most likely the world). You get the idea. It’s a big deal. So Christ did this for me, what is my gratitude? Everyday is a day dedicated to God, do I show that? I can do better. I need to do better. Anyway, Johnny OUT.

Hope Study - Edition #4: Eyes with a Vision

August 17th, 2006

Hope Study – Edition #4: Eyes with a Vision

2nd Kings 6:8-17
Now the king of Aram was at war with Israel. After conferring with his officers, he said, “I will set up my camp in such and such a place.”

The man of God sent word to the king of Israel: “Beware of passing that place, because the Arameans are going down there.” So the king of Israel checked on the place indicated by the man of God. Time and again Elisha warned the king, so that he was on his guard in such places.

This enraged the king of Aram. He summoned his officers and demanded of them, “Will you not tell me which of us is on the side of the king of Israel?”

“None of us, my lord the king,” said one of his officers, “but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the very words you speak in your bedroom.”

“Go, find out where he is,” the king ordered, “so I can send men and capture him.” The report came back: “He is in Dothan.” Then he sent horses and chariots and a strong force there. They went by night and surrounded the city.

When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh, my lord, what shall we do?” the servant asked.

“Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”

And Elisha prayed, “O LORD, open his eyes so he may see.” Then the LORD opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

This is the scripture we talked about last night at midweek. The phrase “what shall we do” is used six times in the bible. Twice in 1st Samuel in regards to the Ark, once in Song of Solomon in reference to a woman being ready for her husband, once in the scripture above, and then twice in the book of Acts.

Acts 2:36-41
“Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”

When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

Acts 21:17-26
When we arrived at Jerusalem, the brothers received us warmly. The next day Paul and the rest of us went to see James, and all the elders were present. Paul greeted them and reported in detail what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.

When they heard this, they praised God. Then they said to Paul: “You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the law. They have been informed that you teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn away from Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or live according to our customs. What shall we do? They will certainly hear that you have come, so do what we tell you. There are four men with us who have made a vow. Take these men, join in their purification rites and pay their expenses, so that they can have their heads shaved. Then everybody will know there is no truth in these reports about you, but that you yourself are living in obedience to the law. As for the Gentile believers, we have written to them our decision that they should abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality.”

The next day Paul took the men and purified himself along with them. Then he went to the temple to give notice of the date when the days of purification would end and the offering would be made for each of them.

In all three of these verses, the question is asked “What Shall We Do?” And in each place, the answer is sound. Acts 21, the answer is quite amazing. You have to look for it in depth (at least I did, maybe others it just pops right out) but I had to dig to get this one. Paul had to purify himself according to their customs. This is important because he became “like them” to save them. His vision is to do the will of God, and to do that, he would not let anything stand in his way, whether it be harmless customs and lifestyles that don’t conflict in God’s way, doing something that may please a group of people so that he can reach that people, or whatever petty barrier, Paul changed his dynamic to help others. That was the vision of Paul.

1st Corinthians 9:19-23
Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

1st Corinthians 9:20 became:
ghin'-om-ahee
A prolonged and middle form of a primary verb; to cause to be (“gen” -erate), that is, (reflexively) to become (come into being), used with great latitude (literally, figuratively, intensively, etc.): - arise be assembled, be (come, -fall, -have self), be brought (to pass), (be) come (to pass), continue, be divided, be done, draw, be ended, fall, be finished, follow, be found, be fulfilled, + God forbid, grow, happen, have, be kept, be made, be married, be ordained to be, partake, pass, be performed, be published, require, seem, be showed, X soon as it was, sound, be taken, be turned, use, wax, will, would, be wrought.

1st Corinthians 9:22 some:
tis
An enclitic indefinite pronoun; some or any person or object: - a (kind of), any (man, thing, thing at all), certain (thing), divers, he (every) man, one (X thing), ought, + partly, some (man, -body, -thing, -what), (+ that no-) thing, what (-soever), X wherewith, whom [-soever], whose ([-soever]).

Paul did this… he performed, he required himself to be like others so that he MIGHT save one. That was his vision. What is my vision?

Peter was asked the question, “What shall we do?” His vision is to help others fulfill the promise of God. Not just in baptism and receiving the Holy Spirit, but not living a life full of corruption. His vision was not just the talk, but the WALK. What does it mean to save myself from a corrupt generation?

Acts 2:40 corrupt:
skol-ee-os'
Warped, that is, winding; figuratively perverse: - crooked, froward, untoward.

Corrupt (adj.):

1. Marked by immorality and perversion; depraved.


2. Venal; dishonest.


3. Tainted; putrid.

Froward (adj.):

1. Stubbornly contrary and disobedient; obstinate.

Acts 2:40 save:
sode'-zo
To save, that is, deliver or protect (literally or figuratively): - heal, preserve, save (self), do well, be (make) whole.

I felt that to understand what corrupt was in the Greek, I needed to also get a better understanding of the word “save”. If I am saved from corruption, I am delivered from it. In other words, I am not doing dishonest things. And that can go from stealing a pack of 25 cent gum from the local corner store to speeding on the highway to cheating on taxes. It is all dishonest. Am I a froward person? Am I stubbornly disobedient? Do I plead with people who are like this, who are froward and stubborn? Is that my vision, the vision of Peter?

And then there is Elisha. He was asked “What shall we do?” Elisha prayed to have his eyes opened. What shall we do… it’s a question of vision. In a time of despair, it can be a reflection about lack of faith.

Esther 4:12-14
When Esther's words were reported to Mordecai, he sent back this answer: “Do not think that because you are in the king's house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?”

What shall I do? Am I asking the question deep enough? And who knows but God that I have come about my situation for such a time as this?

Isaiah 6:6-8
Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”
And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

Mike said that he thought he needed a new vision. And what if we all get a new vision… God opens my eyes. God opens your eyes. And then what? The is a time, the time is now. God has prepared me and you to do great things. He is asking, “Whom shall I send?” The question then remains, am I bold enough; do I have the zeal, to say “Send me”?

Johnny Out.

The Sinful Nature Study – Edition #7: The Red Light

August 16th, 2006

The Sinful Nature Study – Edition #7: The Red Light

I have to ask a simple question: Is a lack of conviction an excuse? The reason this question is posed is this… I have a friend who allows them-self to go over the speed limit by 10 miles an hour. Now should they ever have children, I am sure this will flood over into other areas of their life, but the thing is compromise in one area, compromise in all. That’s how the dominos fall. It’s always that way. And this person said that they would continue to do this until a police man told them to stop. What this is, it’s letting someone else dictate your conviction. And when you change, it isn’t due to godly sorrow. It’s because you got caught. Consider these situations:

• I am going to speed 10 miles over the speed limit until an official tells me to stop.
• I am going to scratch up every car I come to until a cop tells me to stop.
• I am going to break into 10 houses a day until a cop tells me to stop.
• I am going to sleep around with a different person a day, until I am told to stop.

And this is how a child sees this. Deception is deception, no matter the form it takes.

Matthew 23:1-4
Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy loads and put them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.”

Matthew 23:3 obey:
tay-reh'-o
To guard (from loss or injury, properly by keeping the eye upon), that is, to note (a prophecy; figuratively to fulfill a command); by implication to detain (in custody; figuratively to maintain); by extension to withhold (for personal ends; figuratively to keep unmarried): - hold fast, keep (-er), (ob-, pre-, re) serve, watch.

Luke 11:27-28
As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, “Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you.”

He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”

Luke 11:28 obey:
foo-las'-so
To watch, that is, be on guard (literally or figuratively); by implication to preserve. obey, avoid: - beware, keep (self), observe, save.

John 14:15-21, 23-24
“If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever - the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.”

Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.”

(John 14 uses the same obey – all three times – as the Matthew scripture)

John 15:9-10, 18-20, 22
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love.”

“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember the words I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.”

“If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin.”

(John 15 uses the same obey – all three times – as the Matthew scripture)

Romans 13:1-7
Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience. This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing. Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

Well, according to Romans, if I rebel against the law’s of this country, then I am rebelling against Christ and God. So, what does it mean to rebel?

Rebel (verb):

1. To refuse allegiance to and oppose by force an established government or ruling authority.
2. To resist or defy an authority or a generally accepted convention.
3. To feel or express strong unwillingness or repugnance.

Thesaurus synonyms:

• Be insubordinate
• Boycott
• Break with
• Censure
• Criticize
• Defy
• Denounce
• Disobey
• Mutiny
• Oppose
• Overthrow
• Renounce
• Resist
• Revolt
• Turn against
• Upset

If I go faster than the speed limit, then I am revolting against God. I am defying God’s word. If I speed, I am denouncing God’s word. But wait, I am still going to take this further… you know, why not?

Now, of the verse in Romans 13:2, there is two types of rebel’s used.

Rebels:
an-tee-tas'-som-ahee
To range oneself against, that is, oppose: - oppose themselves, resist.

Rebelling:
anth-is'-tay-mee
To stand against, that is, oppose: - resist, withstand.

Now, let me just say this: even though I make every effort to not speed when I drive, I know I fall short in other areas. But the thing is: Am I making excuses for my sin by simply saying my conviction is weak and therefore I can continue in what I WANT to do? Count the costs… it is the same as getting advice. One gets advice and then weighs out the costs of whatever the situation may be. And when it comes to speeding, or any sin for that matter, counting the costs is the most essential thing for a Christian. Not every does it, including me, but when I do, I am grateful for doing so.

Luke 14:28-33
“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’”

“Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.”

This may be read by my friend, maybe not, but this is more for me, than for him. It is building my conviction. And if he repents and stops rebelling against God and the law of this great country, then AMEN! But if not, that will be between him and God. But the most convicting part of this all, is where the rebellious people fall.

1st Timothy 1:8-11
We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. We also know that law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious; for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, for adulterers and perverts, for slave traders and liars and perjurers - and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine that conforms to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.

Lawbreaker = rebel = ungodly = sinful = unholy = irreligious

Johnny Out.

OT Crossword

Hope Study - Edition #3: The Anti-Pessimist

August 10th, 2006

Hope Study – Edition #3: The Anti-Pessimist

Did you know that the book of Job uses the word “hope” nineteen times within seventeen scriptures? I didn’t either until I searched out the word. I couldn’t help but ponder as to why the excessive use (excessive for lack of a better word). That’s what I am focusing on today, is the hope within this book.

First off, the shortest Prophet may be Nehemiah (knee-high-miah), but did you know that Job had a friend that was only a shoe-height? That’s a pretty short guy. But did you know that the guards as Jesus’ tomb were so short, they fell asleep on a watch. Either that’s a big watch or short people… I don’t know of a watch that’s bigger that just a few inches. Now, on to some serious stuff…

Job 4:2-6
“If someone ventures a word with you, will you be impatient? But who can keep from speaking? Think how you have instructed many, how you have strengthened feeble hands. Your words have supported those who stumbled; you have strengthened faltering knees. But now trouble comes to you, and you are discouraged; it strikes you, and you are dismayed. Should not your piety be your confidence and your blameless ways your hope?”

This is Eliphaz the Temanite speaking, and I think this is really encouraging. The guy reminds Job that he’s a good guy. He points out that Job is pious or a devout Jew. He doesn’t toe the line, he’s nowhere near the line. Job has encouraged others and he has strengthened others. And Eliphaz, at least here, has said that if he is doing everything right, then the hardship he is under is not a result of sin. And that is true. Good things happen to bad people and bad things happen to good people, with sometimes no rhyme or reason.

Job 5:8-19
“But if it were I, I would appeal to God; I would lay my cause before him. He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted. He bestows rain on the earth; he sends water upon the countryside. The lowly he sets on high, and those who mourn are lifted to safety. He thwarts the plans of the crafty, so that their hands achieve no success. He catches the wise in their craftiness, and the schemes of the wily are swept away. Darkness comes upon them in the daytime; at noon they grope as in the night. He saves the needy from the sword in their mouth; he saves them from the clutches of the powerful. So the poor have hope, and injustice shuts its mouth. Blessed is the man whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty. For he wounds, but he also binds up; he injures, but his hands also heal. From six calamities he will rescue you; in seven no harm will befall you.”

Oops. Eliphaz the Temanite stepped back on what he originally said. But there is still some good stuff here. Now he’s saying Job is being disciplined. But outside of that, the poor have hope. God does protect the poor. Eliphaz isn’t wrong there. Let’s give Job’s friends some credit, they were considered wise men in their day. Eliphaz is a smart guy. And so it should be noted that just because he’s wrong in one area, doesn’t mean he’s wrong everywhere else. And it should also be noted that Satan is the one who wounds, but God heals. Anyway, the poor have hope, the hope that God provides. And that is a great thing.

Job 6:2-20
“If only my anguish could be weighed and all my misery be placed on the scales! It would surely outweigh the sand of the seas - no wonder my words have been impetuous. The arrows of the Almighty are in me, my spirit drinks in their poison; God's terrors are marshaled against me. Does a wild donkey bray when it has grass, or an ox bellow when it has fodder? Is tasteless food eaten without salt, or is there flavor in the white of an egg? I refuse to touch it; such food makes me ill. Oh, that I might have my request, that God would grant what I hope for, that God would be willing to crush me, to let loose his hand and cut me off! Then I would still have this consolation - my joy in unrelenting pain - that I had not denied the words of the Holy One. What strength do I have, that I should still hope? What prospects, that I should be patient? Do I have the strength of stone? Is my flesh bronze? Do I have any power to help myself, now that success has been driven from me? A despairing man should have the devotion of his friends, even though he forsakes the fear of the Almighty. But my brothers are as undependable as intermittent streams, as the streams that overflow when darkened by thawing ice and swollen with melting snow, but that cease to flow in the dry season, and in the heat vanish from their channels. Caravans turn aside from their routes; they go up into the wasteland and perish. The caravans of Tema look for water, the traveling merchants of Sheba look in hope. They are distressed, because they had been confident; they arrive there, only to be disappointed.”

And before I dig into all this, I have to consider one other thing…

James 5:7-12
Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. Don’t grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!

Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.

Above all, my brothers, do not swear - not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your “Yes” be yes, and your “No,” no, or you will be condemned.

I have heard that Job went through a lot before the guys showed up. And so in Job 6, it is good old Job talking away. And so, Job has probably gone for a good few days with his pain and ailments. And keep in mind, there wasn’t a pharmacy to run to. He couldn’t get a prescription filled for Valium or Lortab. So he had to “suck-it-up”, per se. I have pain medications to take the edge off, Job didn’t have that luxury. I say this because some may think that Job started complaining right away. James is talking about how Job was patient and he persevered. Job 6 isn’t the most encouraging and it isn’t Job’s brightest moment. But again, think about what the guy’s going through. How many times have I said these same things? Maybe not exactly the same verbage, but the same context. It’s not uncommon for someone to be in despair and sad and feeling abandoned by the greatness of life to get into a really deep funk and be bottomed out in depression.

The Lord is full of compassion and mercy. It’s good to have dreams. It’s good to have a belief in God. It is good to have hope. Johnny Out.

Advice Study – Edition #3: No Title

August 9th, 2006

Advice Study – Edition #3: No Title

Proverbs 27:8-10
Like a bird that strays from its nest is a man who strays from his home. Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of one’s friend springs from his earnest counsel. Do not forsake your friend and the friend of your father, and do not go to your brother’s house when disaster strikes you - better a neighbor nearby than a brother far away.

Proverbs 11:13-15
A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret. For lack of guidance a nation falls, but many advisers make victory sure. He who puts up security for another will surely suffer, but whoever refuses to strike hands in pledge is safe.

You know, advice is great. But what makes it great is when someone seeks it out. If I freely speak my mind, tell people things I thought they should know… then it isn’t all that good. In fact, I would just be puffing myself up. How great is it if I am only good in my own eyes? It would be outright pathetic.

I have to apologize… I started this out this morning, but I am now on some new pain medication and can’t seem to put together a deep thought. Outside of doing the basics, my brain just isn’t working. I will attempt this again tomorrow.

The Tongue - Edition #36: Empty Spaces

August 8th, 2006

The Tongue – Edition #36: Empty Spaces

“Kind words can be short and easy to speak but their echoes are truly endless.”
Mother Teresa

Proverbs 14:21-23
He who despises his neighbor sins, but blessed is he who is kind to the needy. Do not those who plot evil go astray? But those who plan what is good find love and faithfulness. All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.

Proverbs 24:1-4
Do not envy wicked men, do not desire their company; for their hearts plot violence, and their lips talk about making trouble. By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures.

Now, these are great scriptures by themselves… but add this scripture to the whole thing and it turns into something WAY more than what they already are.

John 14:1-4
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.”

So, am I just all talk and no work? Do I scoff at my neighbor and the hardship they bring on themselves, or am I kind to the needy? Wisdom builds the house that God has made. Through his understanding, it is established. And what am I in all this? I am a rare and beautiful treasure. I don’t feel that way sometimes. But I think about the room Christ is preparing is preparing for me…

John 8:31-42
To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

They answered him, “We are Abraham's descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?”

Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. I know you are Abraham's descendants. Yet you are ready to kill me, because you have no room for my word. I am telling you what I have seen in the Father's presence, and you do what you have heard from your father.”

“Abraham is our father,” they answered.

“If you were Abraham’s children,” said Jesus, “then you would do the things Abraham did. As it is, you are determined to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things. You are doing the things your own father does.”

“We are not illegitimate children,” they protested. “The only Father we have is God himself.”

It’s through knowledge that the rooms in heaven are filled. Christ, in John 18, was telling the people that they had “no room” for God. They had “no room” for the knowledge.

John 8:37 room:
kho-reh'-o
To be in (give) space, that is, (intransitively) to pass, enter, or (transitively) to hold, admit (literally or figuratively): - come, contain, go, have, place, (can, be room to) receive.

What is a rare treasure?

Rare (adj.):

1. Infrequently occurring; uncommon:


2. Excellent; extraordinary.

Treasure (noun):

1. Accumulated or stored wealth in the form of money, jewels, or other valuables.


2. Valuable or precious possessions of any kind.


3. One considered especially precious or valuable.

This is how God sees me. Do I believe it, though? I guess I should ask myself this question: Would God give up his only son (and right now, I have only one child, a son) for something just “run of the mill”? Would God give up his only boy for a “blue light special”? Or, to go to the opposite of a treasure, would God give up his child for something he hates, something he loathes? God hates sin, but he treasures me. He hates my sin, but he treasures me. God can separate the two, unlike me. I can’t see myself past my sin, but God can. So, am I just all talk and no walk? Am I going to put action to my words and fill the empty space in the room Christ is preparing for me? Do I see myself a valuable and precious possession of my LORD? I need to. I am a rarity and I need to have a talk that reflects that. I need to open this mouth of mine and speak like that of an extraordinary jewel in eyes of my LORD. This just FIRES me up. Johnny Out.

The Sinful Nature Study – Edition #6: The Lettuce Scriptures (Part I)

August 7th, 2006

The Sinful Nature Study – Edition #6: The Lettuce Scriptures (Part I)

“Kind words can be short and easy to speak but their echoes are truly endless.”
Mother Teresa

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?”

Galatians 6:7-10
Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

Galatians 6:9 give up:
ek-loo'-o
To relax (literally or figuratively): - faint.

Luke 18:1 give up:
ek-kak-eh'-o
To be (bad or) weak, that is, (by implication) to fail (in heart): - faint, be weary.

To give up is to have a weak heart… the only way to counter this, to not give up is perseverance and prayer. And temptation is always knocking, Satan is always trying and pushing and working to do his will… how can I overcome? Prayer is the answer. But there are other things I can do as well.

Romans 13:8-14
Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. The commandments, “Do not commit adultery,” “Do not murder,” “Do not steal,” “Do not covet,” and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.

OK, so lets see…

Things to do:
#1: Put on the armor of light
#2: Behave decently

Well, what else?

Romans 14:13
Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way.

Romans 14:19
Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.

Things to do:
#1: Put on the armor of light
#2: Behave decently
#3: No passing judgment
#4: Put no stumbling block in someone else’s way
#5: Make every effort for peace and mutual edification

1st Corinthians 5:6-8
Your boasting is not good. Don't you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough? Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with bread without yeast, the bread of sincerity and truth.

Things to do:
#1: Put on the armor of light
#2: Behave decently
#3: No passing judgment
#4: Put no stumbling block in someone else’s way
#5: Make every effort for peace and mutual edification
#6: Be truthful and sincere

2nd Corinthians 7:1
Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.

Things to do:
#1: Put on the armor of light
#2: Behave decently
#3: No passing judgment
#4: Put no stumbling block in someone else’s way
#5: Make every effort for peace and mutual edification
#6: Be truthful and sincere
#7: Purify myself from everything that contaminates

Galatians 5:22-26
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

Things to do:
#1: Put on the armor of light
#2: Behave decently
#3: No passing judgment
#4: Put no stumbling block in someone else’s way
#5: Make every effort for peace and mutual edification
#6: Be truthful and sincere
#7: Purify myself from everything that contaminates
#8: Keep in step with the Spirit

Galatians 6:7-10 (I know I have this above, but it’s just that good.)
Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

Things to do:
#1: Put on the armor of light
#2: Behave decently
#3: No passing judgment
#4: Put no stumbling block in someone else’s way
#5: Make every effort for peace and mutual edification
#6: Be truthful and sincere
#7: Purify myself from everything that contaminates
#8: Keep in step with the Spirit
#9: Do good to all people

Philippians 3:15-16
All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained.

Things to do:
#1: Put on the armor of light
#2: Behave decently
#3: No passing judgment
#4: Put no stumbling block in someone else’s way
#5: Make every effort for peace and mutual edification
#6: Be truthful and sincere
#7: Purify myself from everything that contaminates
#8: Keep in step with the Spirit
#9: Do good to all people
#10: Live up what I have learned

1st Thessalonians 5:4-11
But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

Things to do:
#1: Put on the armor of light
#2: Behave decently
#3: No passing judgment
#4: Put no stumbling block in someone else’s way
#5: Make every effort for peace and mutual edification
#6: Be truthful and sincere
#7: Purify myself from everything that contaminates
#8: Keep in step with the Spirit
#9: Do good to all people
#10: Live up what I have learned
#11: Be self-controlled

Hebrews 4:1
Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it.

Things to do:
#1: Put on the armor of light
#2: Behave decently
#3: No passing judgment
#4: Put no stumbling block in someone else’s way
#5: Make every effort for peace and mutual edification
#6: Be truthful and sincere
#7: Purify myself from everything that contaminates
#8: Keep in step with the Spirit
#9: Do good to all people
#10: Live up what I have learned
#11: Be self-controlled
#12: Be careful not to lose salvation

Hebrews 4:14-16
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Things to do:
#1: Put on the armor of light
#2: Behave decently
#3: No passing judgment
#4: Put no stumbling block in someone else’s way
#5: Make every effort for peace and mutual edification
#6: Be truthful and sincere
#7: Purify myself from everything that contaminates
#8: Keep in step with the Spirit
#9: Do good to all people
#10: Live up what I have learned
#11: Be self-controlled
#12: Be careful not to lose salvation
#13: Hold firmly to my faith
#14: Approach God with confidence

There are 13 more scriptures I would still like to look at… but this is an awesome list just to start. Catch you all tomorrow… Johnny Out.

Friendship Study - Edition #17: Fixed Eyes on Kleenex

August 4th, 2006

Friendship Study – Edition #17: Fixed Eyes on Kleenex

“Kind words can be short and easy to speak but their echoes are truly endless.”
Mother Teresa

Hebrews 12:1-13
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.”

Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. “Make level paths for your feet,” so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.

A big thanks to Captain Scott for the help on the paper. With you, my wife, and the writing center, I think it turned out pretty good. Hopefully the teacher will feel the same way. I was thinking that if through the struggles, hard times, and garbage that everyday life brings, that the only way to really get through it is by being what Hebrews says. I, of course, have my problems and trials. Who doesn’t is really the question… but, the solution to whatever trial is right there: “Fix my eyes on Christ.” Seriously, it sounds like a band-aid solution to a gunshot problem, and I say this being one who is bi-polar and one who is dealing with what could be a major health issue. I mean, someone can walk up to me and spout off the solution… and it just wouldn’t click. Now, I don’t know who wrote Hebrews, most likely Bob trained by Paul, no one really knows. It could’ve been Bob, but it doesn’t matter who wrote, it is about the quantity therein. When one is depressed, it takes training to get out of it. The writer says “Let US…”. It is a group effort here. So if someone is depressed, the group gets together and, as a whole, pull the poor soul out of it. It takes things like training the person to “Consider him so that you will not lose heart.” “Think about Christ so that you will not grow weary and tired, and then lose focus.” And the really neat thing is this… at the end of it all, when we ALL persevere, the great reward is waiting. And if the depression is for whatever reason lingering…

Revelation 7:14-17
And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

God has the hanky to wipe the tears. Need any Kleenex? Need a moment to collect yourself? God is there. His son went through it all, and whatever pain I am feeling now, Christ had it worse. Whatever loneliness I feel, Christ had it worse. Whatever temptation I feel, Christ had it worse. Christ is the best superhero ever. He knocks Superman down. He topples tall buildings full of sin in a single bound. He’s faster than a speeding temptation. And he is stronger than the Devil. What other superhero does any need? And the best thing about him, he’s on call 24/7. So is his nemesis.

When a friend befalls temptation, struggles, or hardship, they need help, from both above and here. A good neighbor helps his friend in their time of need. That is what love is about. Love your neighbor as yourself, it is written. I mean, do you want help in time of need? I know I do. Anyway… I need to be a better neighbor, a better friend. 168 hours in a week, 8,760 hours in a year… 8,784 hours in a leap year; it just doesn’t seem like enough time until you look at it like that. Roughly, I am already 283,656 hours old… give or take a few, and that is if I was born at 12:01 AM on my birthday… and going into midnight tonight… so I will be off by a few hours. Minutes: 17,019,360 old. Seconds: 1,021,161,600 old… where does the time go? I seriously had a point with all this, but I got lost in my math. I do love math. Encourage your friends… time is short. Maybe that was it… I don’t know. Take care. :-) Johnny Out.

The Book of Malachi

Malachi, meaning “My Messenger”, (Smith) is the last book of the “Old Testament” or the Old Covenant of the Bible. It is a book that consists of only four chapters, but strong and powerful chapters. In these chapters, Malachi, the prophet, addresses three points to the people or Israel. The three points start with Israel turning away from God, move to not being unified, and finally focuses on how Israel wears God down.

The Israelites were going about their business, they were intermarrying, giving sacrifices, giving to God as they saw fit and they felt they were justified in how they were doing things. They were not receiving the blessings they thought they should and they became bitter. Malachi’s first address was in regards to how Israel had turned away from God.

The LORD starts off asking where is the honor due him (NIV Bible). God noticed that the people honored their parents but were not honoring him (Keathley). The Jews had a lack of zeal and pride had built up within their hearts. The Jews were blindsided; they could not see their sin. God wasn’t feeling honored by his people. He wasn’t feeling “splendor” or “glory” (E-Sword) from the Israelites. These feelings were a direct result from poor sacrifices.

What is a poor sacrifice? In a sense, this whole book of Malachi is addressing this one question. But in the literal sense, in dealing with animals, the Israelites were not giving the best animals. They gave “injured, crippled or diseased animals” (NIV Bible) instead of what the LORD commanded of a sacrifice. This led God to feel disrespected and dishonored. But God says he will work, either with the Israelites or with the other the nations. And he will be feared or more importantly, revered. It was best said in 1st Samuel 22 “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD?”

The second point is about not being unified with one another. It can take shape in many ways, (this, too, could be another focus on the entire book – unity between God and his people) but for the Israelites, it was an issue of the priests and Judah. It was an issue of what the people wanted to do and what God wanted them to do. The priests were causing people to turn away from the LORD due to their corruption (Smith). And with the people bringing the bad sacrifices and the priests taking them, it was a lose-lose situation for the people. God was simply upset that the priests were not teaching and rebuking the people. (Keathley) The priests were not taking the leadership role seriously. “For the lips of a priest ought to preserve knowledge, and from his mouth men should seek instruction - because he is the messenger of the LORD Almighty.” (NIV Bible) God didn’t see this in the priests. In fact, God so much as says that the priests have “undone” (E-Sword) the work the LORD has done, thus God will see to it they will be despised and humiliated.

It still goes further into marriage. God sees it on many, many levels. Judah broke faith with the LORD (NIV Bible). And how did Judah do this? The men would divorce an older wife and marry a younger woman of a foreign god. God hates divorce. The Bible says it. And this is the whole reason the LORD is upset in this passage. As I see it, God doesn’t like the good things to break down and that is what divorce does to people. It also is a statement by man saying that God cannot work in marriage, therefore I, man, will end the marriage. But in the last part of verse 16, God sparks some hope to his people. He first starts the verse by clearing any and all doubt on his feelings of divorce. “I hate divorce.” (NIV Bible) and then he finishes up by saying this: “So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith.” (NIV Bible) God tells the Jews that they can, in a sense, protect themselves, and guard their heart. If they do so, they will be better equipped to not break faith.

God says he is worn out by all the evil things that the people have done. The LORD is exhausted. This is the third part of Malachi’s book, how Israel wore down God. People were saying that God approved of wickedness and while others said that God had simply abandoned Israel. God was worn out by this attitude. The LORD knows the hearts of his people. 1st Samuel 16:7 says, “But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” (NIV Bible) And then to take this a step further, Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is living and active… it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” (NIV Bible) With these two in mind, it brings to light this third part.

The first thing that wore down God is the grumbling. The people are faithless. Even though the LORD was upset by the faithlessness of the people in this regard, he offered reassurance. The book of Malachi prophesied about Christ, “He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver” (Wesley). God is always there to instill hope, even in the toughest of messages in the Bible; there is always a message of hope within the pages.

The second thing that wore down God is the tithing. “Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me.” This is one of those eye-popping scriptures. “Will a man defraud (E-Sword) God?” One of the ways they were not keeping God’s statutes was by withholding their tithes and offerings. It says they were robbing God. This means that not giving is stealing! (Keathley) God wants the heart of his people to give to us. I have a son who just learned to walk. He ran to me once and he gave me a handful of cheerios. He was excited to do it. His heart was to give. And that is the heart that God is looking for. Not the heart that would continually say “It is futile to serve God.” (NIV Bible) When these people say it is futile to serve God, it is like saying it is useless (E-Sword) to serve him. It is worship that is in vain. They are saying it is rules created by men to follow an empty god. The people didn’t want to serve the LORD simply because the heart they wanted to receive first and then maybe give.

Now the best part isn’t waking up with Folgers in your cup. It’s the last three verses of chapter three. The LORD talks about sparing those who serve him, even those serving him who do not have the best of hearts (Wesley). He does this simply because those serving are children of God, because they are obedient and serving God. And that makes for a good distinction of believing and doing nothing and believing and doing something.

This whole book talks about how God felt robbed. He was robbed with poor sacrifices. He was robbed with disrespect, robbed with dishonor. When people turned away due to false teaching, he was robbed. When Judah turned away and gave into divorce, he was robbed. People gave poor offerings and tithes, and the LORD was robbed. When people have a futile perspective, it is robbery. And in the last chapter, the promise is that if a change doesn’t occur, then things will not get better for the world, for the earth. Then the question remains, are things changing in the way that the LORD is wanting, in a positive way or are the people still robbing God?

Works Sited:

1. E-Sword. 7th Ed. Online Software on the Bible. Available from http://www.e-sword.net/downloads.html; Internet; accessed 8-2-06


2. Keathley IV, Hampton, Th. M. The Minor Prophets. Online resource on Malachi. Available from http://www.bible.org/page.asp?page_id=979; Internet; accessed 7-23-06.


3. NIV Bible. Colorado Springs: International Bible Society, 1973.


4. Smith, Jeff. Minor Prophets: My Servants the Prophets. Jeff Smith, 2000.


5. Wesley, John. Wesley’s Notes on the Bible. Online eBook on the Bible. Available from http://www.biblestudyguide.org/ebooks-comment/index.htm; Internet; accessed 8-2-06.