July 13th, 2007
Treatment for... Diagnosis: SPIT-WATER – Edition #2Well. What can I say? I'm starting to feel it again. Life and a passion for God. I've looked at scripture throughout the day, pondering and thinking what I would type in here tonight. I guess I will just list the scriptures and go from there.
First off, the motivation scripture:
Revelation 2:16
So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.
That's pretty straight forward. If I'm not hot or cold, then I am spit water. I don't know what a "cold" Christian is, but I can't think of it as being really good. Still, this passage inquires that it is of some use. A "hot" Christian is of some use, as well. I already looked at 2nd Peter 1:2-11, which gives good instruction.
Here's some more scriptures:
Matthew 6:25-27
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?"
Spiritual math tells me that "worrying" doesn't add anything to the equation. Actually, I would think that it is a subtraction. Check this out...
Matthew 13:18-23
"Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown."
Since worrying chokes spirituality, worrying is a subtraction in spiritual math. Worrying makes a person "lukewarm".
1st Corinthians 11:1-16
Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ. I praise you because you remember me in everything, and you follow closely the teachings just as I gave them to you. But I want you to understand this: The head of every man is Christ, the head of a woman is the man, and the head of Christ is God. Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered brings shame to his head. But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered brings shame to her head. She is the same as a woman who has her head shaved. If a woman does not cover her head, she should have her hair cut off. But since it is shameful for a woman to cut off her hair or to shave her head, she should cover her head. But a man should not cover his head, because he is the likeness and glory of God. But woman is man's glory. Man did not come from woman, but woman came from man. And man was not made for woman, but woman was made for man. So that is why a woman should have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. But in the Lord women are not independent of men, and men are not independent of women. This is true because woman came from man, but also man is born from woman. But everything comes from God. Decide this for yourselves: Is it right for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? Even nature itself teaches you that wearing long hair is shameful for a man. But long hair is a woman's glory. Long hair is given to her as a covering. Some people may still want to argue about this, but I would add that neither we nor the churches of God have any other practice.
They way I read this is like this... and I will open up my E-Sword and check out the Greek... is that the woman is the man's glory. If the man wants the woman to have long hair, GREAT! If he wants her to have short hair? GREAT! It really is for us to decide. The last verse really clears it up for me: we don't have a practice about it. I want to say that this means: they don't care all that much. After verse 16, it talks about divisions within the congregation (clicks in the congregation). I am sure some were women with long hair and others with short hair. That's why in verse 16, they say that arguments are not their cup of tea. And it shouldn't be. Does God love a long-haired woman more than a short-haired woman. I think he loves them and accepts them equally.
Here's the thing. The Bible is as relevant today as it was yesterday and it will be just as relevant tomorrow. This passage isn't really about hair. It's about arguments and divisions. And verse 16 says that the church is not to participate in such things. Johnny Out.
First off, the motivation scripture:
Revelation 2:16
So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.
That's pretty straight forward. If I'm not hot or cold, then I am spit water. I don't know what a "cold" Christian is, but I can't think of it as being really good. Still, this passage inquires that it is of some use. A "hot" Christian is of some use, as well. I already looked at 2nd Peter 1:2-11, which gives good instruction.
Here's some more scriptures:
Matthew 6:25-27
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?"
Spiritual math tells me that "worrying" doesn't add anything to the equation. Actually, I would think that it is a subtraction. Check this out...
Matthew 13:18-23
"Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown."
Since worrying chokes spirituality, worrying is a subtraction in spiritual math. Worrying makes a person "lukewarm".
1st Corinthians 11:1-16
Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ. I praise you because you remember me in everything, and you follow closely the teachings just as I gave them to you. But I want you to understand this: The head of every man is Christ, the head of a woman is the man, and the head of Christ is God. Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered brings shame to his head. But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered brings shame to her head. She is the same as a woman who has her head shaved. If a woman does not cover her head, she should have her hair cut off. But since it is shameful for a woman to cut off her hair or to shave her head, she should cover her head. But a man should not cover his head, because he is the likeness and glory of God. But woman is man's glory. Man did not come from woman, but woman came from man. And man was not made for woman, but woman was made for man. So that is why a woman should have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. But in the Lord women are not independent of men, and men are not independent of women. This is true because woman came from man, but also man is born from woman. But everything comes from God. Decide this for yourselves: Is it right for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? Even nature itself teaches you that wearing long hair is shameful for a man. But long hair is a woman's glory. Long hair is given to her as a covering. Some people may still want to argue about this, but I would add that neither we nor the churches of God have any other practice.
They way I read this is like this... and I will open up my E-Sword and check out the Greek... is that the woman is the man's glory. If the man wants the woman to have long hair, GREAT! If he wants her to have short hair? GREAT! It really is for us to decide. The last verse really clears it up for me: we don't have a practice about it. I want to say that this means: they don't care all that much. After verse 16, it talks about divisions within the congregation (clicks in the congregation). I am sure some were women with long hair and others with short hair. That's why in verse 16, they say that arguments are not their cup of tea. And it shouldn't be. Does God love a long-haired woman more than a short-haired woman. I think he loves them and accepts them equally.
Here's the thing. The Bible is as relevant today as it was yesterday and it will be just as relevant tomorrow. This passage isn't really about hair. It's about arguments and divisions. And verse 16 says that the church is not to participate in such things. Johnny Out.
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