A Study on Love - Edition #4

Thursday, January 5th, 2006

A Study on Love – Edition #4

The three things:

• Is there a fact to believe here?


• Is there a promise to trust?


• Is there a command to obey?

Exodus 21:2-11
2 “If you buy a Hebrew servant, he is to serve you for six years. But in the seventh year, he shall go free, without paying anything. 3 If he comes alone, he is to go free alone; but if he has a wife when he comes, she is to go with him. 4 If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the woman and her children shall belong to her master, and only the man shall go free.”

5 “But if the servant declares, 'I love my master and my wife and children and do not want to go free,' 6 then his master must take him before the judges. He shall take him to the door or the doorpost and pierce his ear with an awl. Then he will be his servant for life.”

7 “If a man sells his daughter as a servant, she is not to go free as menservants do. 8 If she does not please the master who has selected her for himself, he must let her be redeemed. He has no right to sell her to foreigners, because he has broken faith with her. 9 If he selects her for his son, he must grant her the rights of a daughter. 10 If he marries another woman, he must not deprive the first one of her food, clothing and marital rights. 11 If he does not provide her with these three things, she is to go free, without any payment of money.”

I guess this is how ear piercing came about. Husbands would have their wives ears pierced to show them as being property of them. I am not sure, haven’t done any research on it… but it makes sense. But as I read this scripture, I discovered that if I am a slave to God… and God sets me free, would I say that I don’t want to be free? Would I continue on in my chores and continue a life of servitude? I think at first glance, I would have skipped this scripture, but when I read it all in context, I thought I needed to study it out more. As a kid, I jumped at the chance to leave home. I rejoiced, in a sense, to “be free.”

Free (adj.):

• Not bound or confined by force.


• Able to act at will; not hampered; not under compulsion or restraint.


• Costing nothing.


• Not held in servitude.

Freedom (noun):

• Exemption from the stress of authority in a beggarly half dozen of restraint's infinite multitude of methods. A political condition that every nation supposes itself to enjoy in virtual monopoly. Liberty. The distinction between freedom and liberty is not accurately known; naturalists have never been able to find a living specimen of either. (Devil’s D)


• The capacity to exercise choice; free will. (dictionary.com)

I don’t have a piercing to show that I am God’s property, outside of my heart being pricked every now and again. And that’s probably the best kind of piercing you can have, anyway. But I liked how free in this verse really means free. Not only does the guy get away with no longer having servitude, but he also doesn’t have to pay anything for his freedom. However, we are set free from God, there may not be any “up front” money, but in the end, there will be some serious cooking.

Slave (noun):

• One bound in servitude as the property of a person or household.


• One who is abjectly subservient to a specified person or influence.


• One who works extremely hard.

So this is a question I must ask myself: Do I look at myself as the property of God? Am I subservient to him? Do I work “extremely hard” for God? I don’t think I work extremely hard for him, seriously. And most of the time, I don’t think of myself as anyone’s property. Now, I can say that I look at God as being greater than me… He is most high, and I am most low. But I definitely need to work on the other two. Anyway, I guess I will be chatting more tomorrow. Johnny Out.

A Study on Love - Edition #3

Wednesday, January 4th, 2006

A Study on Love – Edition #3

The three things:

• Is there a fact to believe here?


• Is there a promise to trust?


• Is there a command to obey?

Wow, today I don’t want to have a quiet time. I just want to sleep. I have realized I am more depressed than I previous thought. I seem to be getting little accomplished. And what I do accomplish, it seems to be taking magnificent effort (even to make even a soda).

Love (noun):

• A temporary insanity curable by marriage or by removal of the patient from the influences under which he incurred the disorder. This disease, like caries and many other ailments, is prevalent only among civilized races living under artificial conditions; barbarous nations breathing pure air and eating simple food enjoy immunity from its ravages. It is sometimes fatal, but more frequently to the physician than to the patient. (Devil’s Dictionary)

Exodus 20:1-17
1 And God spoke all these words:

2 "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

3 "You shall have no other gods before me.

4 "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.

7 "You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.

8 "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. 11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

12 "Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.

13 "You shall not murder.

14 "You shall not commit adultery.

15 "You shall not steal.

16 "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.

17 "You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor."

Hatred (noun):

• A sentiment appropriate to the occasion of another's superiority. (Devil’s D)


• The emotion of hate; a feeling of dislike so strong that it demands action. (Dictionary.com)

I wanted to focus on the verses 4 thru 6. It says that God will punish the children of those who hate him. I don’t really think that people do things to God in the passion of hatred. Maybe some do, I don’t know. Maybe I am a dreamer and I think better of people. I’m not really sure. But God shows love to a thousand generations to those who love him. Here’s the kicker… And to those who KEEP his commandments. In a more mathematical formula, I can see it like this:

• Love to a thousand generations = Love of God + Keeping of commandments


• Punishment to third and fourth generation = Hatred of God

So according to the devil’s dictionary, since God is superior to me, then hatred would be appropriate. That’s what the devil would want me to do. If I am working and I have a boss, the hatred would be appropriate. And the devil thinks that love is foolish, by their definition. What is my definition? Surely there is enough information out on the internet that I can find someone out there posting ideas that I like… but does it make it right? All I know is that for God to love my family a thousand deep, I simply need to love him and keep his commands.

Now, today is National Trivia Day, so I guess I should spout off some trivia… In 1965, the minimum annual salary for a baseball player was $6,000, just a thousand dollars more than it had been in 1947. In case you are wondering, the league minimum in 2005 was $316,000. About 17 minutes of baseball pitching is required to burn 100 calories. A baseball hit by a bat can travel as fast as 120 miles per hour. Baseball is the only major sport that appears backwards in a mirror. I think that will do it for the trivia. Johnny Out.

A Study of Love - Edition #2

Tuesday, January 3rd, 2006

A Study on Love – Edition #2

The three things:

• Is there a fact to believe here?


• Is there a promise to trust?


• Is there a command to obey?

Genesis 29:1-35
1 Then Jacob continued on his journey and came to the land of the eastern peoples. 2 There he saw a well in the field, with three flocks of sheep lying near it because the flocks were watered from that well. The stone over the mouth of the well was large. 3 When all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds would roll the stone away from the well's mouth and water the sheep. Then they would return the stone to its place over the mouth of the well.

4 Jacob asked the shepherds, "My brothers, where are you from?"

"We're from Haran," they replied.

5 He said to them, "Do you know Laban, Nahor's grandson?"

"Yes, we know him," they answered.

6 Then Jacob asked them, "Is he well?"

"Yes, he is," they said, "and here comes his daughter Rachel with the sheep."

7 "Look," he said, "the sun is still high; it is not time for the flocks to be gathered. Water the sheep and take them back to pasture."

8 "We can't," they replied, "until all the flocks are gathered and the stone has been rolled away from the mouth of the well. Then we will water the sheep."

9 While he was still talking with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep, for she was a shepherdess. 10 When Jacob saw Rachel daughter of Laban, his mother's brother, and Laban's sheep, he went over and rolled the stone away from the mouth of the well and watered his uncle's sheep. 11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel and began to weep aloud. 12 He had told Rachel that he was a relative of her father and a son of Rebekah. So she ran and told her father.

13 As soon as Laban heard the news about Jacob, his sister's son, he hurried to meet him. He embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his home, and there Jacob told him all these things. 14 Then Laban said to him, "You are my own flesh and blood."

After Jacob had stayed with him for a whole month, 15 Laban said to him, "Just because you are a relative of mine, should you work for me for nothing? Tell me what your wages should be."

16 Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. 17 Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel was lovely in form, and beautiful. 18 Jacob was in love with Rachel and said, "I'll work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel."

19 Laban said, "It's better that I give her to you than to some other man. Stay here with me." 20 So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her.

21 Then Jacob said to Laban, "Give me my wife. My time is completed, and I want to lie with her."

22 So Laban brought together all the people of the place and gave a feast. 23 But when evening came, he took his daughter Leah and gave her to Jacob, and Jacob lay with her. 24 And Laban gave his servant girl Zilpah to his daughter as her maidservant.

25 When morning came, there was Leah! So Jacob said to Laban, "What is this you have done to me? I served you for Rachel, didn't I? Why have you deceived me?"

26 Laban replied, "It is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older one. 27 Finish this daughter's bridal week; then we will give you the younger one also, in return for another seven years of work."

28 And Jacob did so. He finished the week with Leah, and then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife. 29 Laban gave his servant girl Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her maidservant. 30 Jacob lay with Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than Leah. And he worked for Laban another seven years.

31 When the LORD saw that Leah was not loved, he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren. 32 Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben, for she said, "It is because the LORD has seen my misery. Surely my husband will love me now."

33 She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, "Because the LORD heard that I am not loved, he gave me this one too." So she named him Simeon.

34 Again she conceived, and when she gave birth to a son she said, "Now at last my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons." So he was named Levi.

35 She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, "This time I will praise the LORD." So she named him Judah. Then she stopped having children.

Love (noun):

• A person who is the object of deep or intense affection or attraction; beloved. Often used as a term of endearment.


• An expression of one's affection.


• A strong predilection or enthusiasm; the object of such an enthusiasm.


• A strong positive emotion of regard and affection.

Now, Jacob loved Rachel. That’s without a doubt. But there is in my mind the whole thing about children. The father of Joe and Bob, well he loves Joe more than Bob. It’s by his actions… they say he loves him more than the other. Jacob’s actions spoke so… he didn’t work those seven years to end up with Leah. And now Leah is yoked with him for the rest of her life. She has to be married to a guy who she knows didn’t want her. But in a good way, divorce wasn’t an option. She stayed through the whole thing and that is admirable. But what I see in all this is not only her devotion to the cards dealt her, but how God’s love isn’t a love of favorites. I don’t have to do things and say “surely God will love me now.” God loves me yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Nothing I can say or do will change whether he loves me or not. The question isn’t about God’s love for me, but my love for God. God has already proved his love for me. He even proved his love for my Aunt, who passed Sunday morning. God has an expression for my affection. I am the object of deep and intense affection for my God. I am a beloved to him. The question I must ask myself is God these things for me? Is God an object of enthusiasm for me? On most days I can say so… others I just push through. I really have been pushing on and off with the start of this New Year. Simply going outside and praying my guts out has helped a bunch… but the thing that really has been great is a silly little cat, Puff. This cat, which is a neighborhood cat, comforts me. I don’t think he can even meow… I have seen his mouth open and a silent sound comes out. He rubs against me as I pray, sits by my side, and trusts in God that I will feed him. He doesn’t worry but instead lives for the day that is given him. He doesn’t think about next week, next year, or what will happen when he gets sick. He knows that somehow, it will all work out. And if it doesn’t, then somehow it will all work out. And for his trust in God, I love him. If I didn’t already have an inside cat, he would be my inside cat. But I don’t think he would be happy to be trapped within the walls when he had already experienced the joy of nature. Why be content with the makings of man when you have the makings of God? The outside is proof that God loves me. Johnny Out.

A Study on Love - Edition #1

Monday, January 2nd, 2006

A Study on Love – Edition #1

The three things:

• Is there a fact to believe here?


• Is there a promise to trust?


• Is there a command to obey?

“Antartian” is not found in any English dictionary, but it can be found in the WWW computer world in Google search. Antartian’s are phantoms that live in the realm of the imagination and surrealism, mostly in the form of Jokes. They are the mythical and impossible characters capable of creating smiles and laughter. I don't do drugs. I get the same effect just standing up fast. Microsoft is reportedly buying a multibillion dollar stake in AT&T. Americans can now look forward to rebooting their telephones. I have thought that life is a car wash and I am on a hike.

Genesis 22:1-12
1 Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, "Abraham!"

"Here I am," he replied.

2 Then God said, "Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about."

3 Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. 4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5 He said to his servants, "Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you."

6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, 7 Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, "Father?"

"Yes, my son?" Abraham replied.

"The fire and wood are here," Isaac said, "but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?"

8 Abraham answered, "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." And the two of them went on together.

9 When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. 11 But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!"

"Here I am," he replied.

12 "Do not lay a hand on the boy," he said. "Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son."

There was this atheist who challenged me to do this very thing. But let’s face it, to kill is to sin, so I can’t very well go off and kill my son. Jesus himself said “do not put the Lord your God to the test.”  But something I noticed in all of this. An angel stopped Abraham. Nobody stopped God from sacrificing his son. So now I know God loves me. He gave me the son that he loves. I prayed a bunch last night. And it really brought my mind at ease. There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother and it is really good to have this friend. He laid down his one and only son and that means a lot.

Expectations

Sunday, January 1st, 2006

Expectations

The three things:

• Is there a fact to believe here?


• Is there a promise to trust?


• Is there a command to obey?

Well… I woke up this morning to some interesting news. It made me do some serious thinking… Many years ago, I woke up on Christmas morning to find our household pet had passed away on the front porch. Is Christmas supposed to be warm and fuzzy? Is death supposed to take the day off? So when this morning I found that a family member of mine is going to be passing away, most likely today, I was heartbroken. People kept coming up to me, wishing me a Happy New Year and I would be like, “yeah… happy new year.” Because it is a holiday, I am supposed to be excited about everything. My heart weighs heavy. I couldn’t even sit through service because everyone is happy and I just couldn’t fake it. I couldn’t.

John 11:35
35 Jesus wept.

Jesus cried. And I find it in my heart to do the same. I must say, I have struggled today with smoking and drinking… and the worst? I was at church and observed alcohol and rolled the idea in my head. How about that: to get drunk AT church.

John 11:32-34
32 When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died."

33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. 34 "Where have you laid him?" he asked.

"Come and see, Lord," they replied.

John 11:36-37
36 Then the Jews said, "See how he loved him!"

37 But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?"

I can see how this series of scriptures can be a source of struggle for some. God raised Lazarus from the dead, why not my marriage? Why not my family? Why not this or that or whatever… I give God so many expectations. But do I still love him if no matter how unreasonable they may be they don’t become fulfilled? You know, I love God. I love Christ. But I consider these scriptures.

Proverbs 11:24-26
24 One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. 25 A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed. 26 People curse the man who hoards grain, but blessing crowns him who is willing to sell.

Psalm 68:7-11
7 When you went out before your people, O God, when you marched through the wasteland, 8 the earth shook, the heavens poured down rain, before God, the One of Sinai, before God, the God of Israel. 9 You gave abundant showers, O God; you refreshed your weary inheritance. 10 Your people settled in it, and from your bounty, O God, you provided for the poor. 11 The Lord announced the word, and great was the company of those who proclaimed it.

Matthew 14:13-24
13 When Jesus heard what had happened (about John the Baptist), he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. 14 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.

15 As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a remote place, and it's already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food."

16 Jesus replied, "They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat."

17 "We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish," they answered.

18 "Bring them here to me," he said. 19 And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. 20 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 21 The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.

22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24 but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.

I can admire how Christ finds out about his friend, cousin, actually and then still meets the needs of the crowds before he leaves to go and pray. I don’t know if I could do that. In fact, I know that I couldn’t, at least not today. But God refreshes. He refreshed Christ on the side of the mountain. He refreshes me.

Matthew 11:28-30
28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Proverbs 25:25
25 Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land.

I like a cold soda. In fact, I have one next to me as I type this. It refreshes me… energizes me. It’s like waking up with some really good sleep… refreshed to tackle on the day’s garbage and muck and junk. Christ is like a cold soda, a refreshing drink. I can turn to him and be refreshed. Why? Because his yoke is easy and his burden is light. And by giving these things to him, it lightens my load all the more. And if a lighter load isn’t refreshing, then I really don’t know refreshment. How great is the love and taking away the heartache and pain? It’s a good thing. Johnny Out.