Diagnosis: SPIT-WATER – Edition #3

July 14^th, 2007

Prescription #1 for... Diagnosis: SPIT-WATER – Edition #3

An old friend of mine sent this to me and I have held onto it for a bit now. I made some changes to it (of course, I normally do), but I kept the overall feeling of the email. Enjoy...

This should probably be taped to your bathroom mirror where you could read it everyday. You may not realize it, but it's 100% true.

1. There are at least two people in this world that you would die for.
2. At least 15 people in this world that love you in some way.
3. The only reason anyone would ever hate you is because they want to be just like you.
4. A smile from you can bring happiness to anyone, even if they don't like you.
5. Every night, SOMEONE thinks about you before they go to sleep.
6. You mean the world to someone.
7. You are special and unique.
8. Someone that you don't even know exists loves you.
9. When you make the biggest mistake ever, something good comes from it.
10.When you think the world has turned its back on you take another look.
11. Always remember the compliments you received. Forget about the rude remarks.

So... If you are a loving friend, send this to someone and brighten their day. You may not get it back, but it is better to give than receive.

And always remember... when life hands you lemons, make Lemon Delight Cheesecake (recipe below)!

Good friends are like stars... You don't always see them, But you know they are always there.

Lemon Delight Cheesecake

Yield: 10 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ Cup Graham Cracker Crumbs
• ¼ Cup Sugar
• ½ Cup Margarine, Melted
• 1 Env. Unflavored Gelatin
• 1/3 Cup Cold Water
• 1/3 Cup Lemon Juice
• 3 Large Eggs, Separated
• ½ Cup Sugar
• 1 Teaspoon Grated Lemon Peel
• 16 oz Cream Cheese, Softened (Or use 2 8-oz containers of Philly soft cream cheese.)
  

Directions:

• Combine crumbs, sugar and margarine; reserve 1/2 cup. Press remaining onto bottom of 9-inch spring-form pan.
• Soften gelatin in water, stir over low heat until dissolved. Add juice, egg yolks, 1/4 cup sugar, and peel; cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat, 5 minutes.
• Gradually add to cream cheese, mixing at medium speed on electric mixer until well blended.
• Beat egg whites, until foamy; gradually add remaining sugar beating until stiff peaks form.
• Fold into cream cheese mixture; pour over crust.
• Top with reserved crumbs; chill until firm.

I hope you enjoy the recipe. I'm not really sure what "Env." stands for, maybe envelope? Yeah, I don't know at all.

In the NIV Bible, the word "add" is used only 32 times. Nine times it is used in Leviticus. I think I should look at Leviticus and focus on those nine scriptures. Today? I don't know. I am interested, though. Maybe tomorrow.

Old Testament:

• 1 passage in Genesis
• 9 passages in Leviticus
  
• 1 passage in Numbers
• 3 passages in Deuteronomy
  
• 1 passage in 2nd Samuel
• 1 passage in 2nd Kings
  
• 1 passage in 1st Chronicles
• 1 passage in 2nd Chronicles
  
• 3 passages in Proverbs
• 3 passages in Isaiah
• 2 passages in Jeremiah
  
• 1 passage in Ezekiel
  

New Testament:

• 1 passage in Matthew
• 1 passage in Luke
• 1 passage in Galatians
  
• 1 passage in 2nd Peter
  
• 1 passage in Revelation

Luke says the same thing that Matthew said in Edition #2, so I will not look into that, at least on purpose. I may hit it anyway in this study, but I won't guarantee it.

Proverbs 1:1-7
The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:

for attaining wisdom and discipline; for understanding words of insight; for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair; for giving prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young - let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance - for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

Proverbs 9:7-12
"Whoever corrects a mocker invites insult; whoever rebukes a wicked man incurs abuse. Do not rebuke a mocker or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man and he will love you. Instruct a wise man and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man and he will add to his learning. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. For through me your days will be many, and years will be added to your life. If you are wise, your wisdom will reward you; if you are a mocker, you alone will suffer."

Proverbs 30:5-6
"Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar."

Proverbs (add):
yâsaph (verb):
BDB Definition:

• To add, increase, do again, to join, join oneself to, to be joined, be added to, to cause to add, increase, to do more, do again

Adding and joining at essentially the same. Think about that... I can join myself with knowledge. I can join myself with guidance. HOW GREAT IS THAT???!!! And then to think of 2nd Peter and all the things I can join to my very being, it's mind boggling. I am truly digging this series.

And, of course, Proverbs 30 (like in the last chapter in Revelation) shows that there is a subtraction if a person is to add to the words of God. I am sure the same applies if someone emits or cuts out from the words of God. Anyway, Johnny Out.

Diagnosis: SPIT-WATER – Edition #2

July 13^th, 2007

Treatment for... Diagnosis: SPIT-WATER – Edition #2

Well. 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.

Diagnosis: SPIT-WATER – Edition #1

July 12^th, 2007

I went in for a “Check-Up”… Diagnosis: SPIT-WATER – Edition #1

I need to see the spiritual doctor. I have felt blah spiritually. I doubt I’m the only one who’s felt like that, but maybe I’m wrong and everyone in this whole-wide world is just a juggernaut in the BIBLE. AAARRRGGGHHH!!! They knock out scripture left and right. They’re Super-Hero Christians. I asked my wife if I was cold spiritually. I didn’t want to be lukewarm and I knew I wasn’t hot spiritually… I was actually hoping that I was cold, so that I would be something… I don’t know what, but at least I wouldn’t be spit water.

2^nd Peter 1:2-11

Grace and peace be given to you more and more, because you truly know God and Jesus our Lord. Jesus has the power of God, by which he has given us everything we need to live and to serve God. We have these things because we know him. Jesus called us by his glory and goodness. Through these he gave us the very great and precious promises. With these gifts you can share in being like God, and the world will not ruin you with its evil desires.

Because you have these blessings, do your best to add these things to your lives: to your faith, add goodness; and to your goodness, add knowledge; and to your knowledge, add self-control; and to your self-control, add patience; and to your patience, add service for God; and to your service for God, add kindness for your brothers and sisters in Christ; and to this kindness, add love. If all these things are in you and are growing, they will help you to be useful and productive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But anyone who does not have these things cannot see clearly. He is blind and has forgotten that he was made clean from his past sins. My brothers and sisters, try hard to be certain that you really are called and chosen by God. If you do all these things, you will never fall. And you will be given a very great welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

I’ve been subtracting a lot lately. But here in 2^nd Peter, the scripture shows that I need to be adding, as well. I need to throw a “+ faith” and a “+ patience”… of course, I need to “+ love”, because you just can’t have enough love. Maybe my love will overflow out of my mouth… not literally, that’d just be gross (I guess that’d be “lovely vomit”? YUCK!!!).

Several men are in the locker room of a golf club. A cell phone on a bench rings and a man engages the hands-free speaker function and begins to talk. Everyone else in the room stops to listen.

MAN: "Hello"

WOMAN: "Honey, it's me. Are you at the club?"

MAN: "Yes"

WOMAN: "I'm at the mall now and found this beautiful leather coat. It's only $1,000. Is it OK if I buy it?"

MAN: "Sure, go ahead if you like it that much."

WOMAN: "I also stopped by the Mercedes dealership and saw the new 2007 models. I saw one I really liked."

MAN: "How much?"

WOMAN: "$80,000."

MAN: "OK, but for that price I want it with all the options."

WOMAN: "Great! Oh, and one more thing. The house we wanted last year is back on the market. They're asking $950,000."

MAN: "Well, then go ahead and give them an offer, but just offer $900,000."

WOMAN: "OK. I'll see you later! I love you!"

MAN: "Bye, I love you, too."

The man hangs up. The other men in the locker room are looking at him in astonishment. Then he smiles and asks: "Does anyone know whose phone this is???!!!"

Wouldn’t it be great if I could just snap my fingers and turn things back to normal? If I were a computer, I could add/remove someone in your life using the control panel. I could put you’re my son in the recycle bin and restore him when I feel like it. Talk about a time out… I could improve my appearance by adjusting the display settings. I could turn off the speakers when life gets too noisy. I could click on “find” (Ctrl, F) to recover your lost remote control and car keys, which would be tremendously helpful. To get my daily exercise, just click on "run"… and if I mess up my life, I could simply press "Ctrl, Alt, Delete" and start all over. But, I’m not a computer. I can’t run the “Turn to Jesus” software and kick-start my heart back in motion. I see what I need to do, I simply pray that if I go through the motions again, motivation will follow. I sure do need it.

There were three fathers to be in a hospital waiting room, waiting for their babies to be born. The first nurse comes out and tells the first father, "Congratulations you're the father of twins!" He says, “Great! I am the manager for the Minnesota Twins.” The second nurse comes out and tells the second father, "Congratulations you're the father of triplets”! He says, "That's cool! I work for 3M." The third father opens the window and jumps out. The third nurse comes out, and asks, “Where's the third father?" One of the other fathers said, "Oh he jumped out the window.” The nurse asks, "Why?" He replied, "He works for Seven Up!"

I just want to end this with a simple: PRAY for ME to get motivated. Oh, and here’s a link for those of you who want to know about a little boy I know who could use way more prayers than me. Rutger Johnny Out.

2nd Thessalonians

July 7^th, 2007

2nd Thessalonians

From Paul, Silas, and Timothy, to the Church in Thessalonica in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace and peace to you from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We must always thank God for you, brothers and sisters. This is only right, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love that every one of you has for each other is increasing. So we brag about you to the other churches of God. We tell them about the way you continue to be strong and have faith even though you are being treated badly and are suffering many troubles.

This is proof that God is right in his judgment. He wants you to be counted worthy of his kingdom for which you are suffering. God will do what is right. He will give trouble to those who trouble you. And he will give rest to you who are troubled and to us also when the Lord Jesus appears with burning fire from heaven with his powerful angels. Then he will punish those who do not know God and who do not obey the Good News about our Lord Jesus Christ. Those people will be punished with a destruction that continues forever. They will be kept away from the Lord and from his great power. This will happen on the day when the Lord Jesus comes to receive glory because of his holy people. And all the people who have believed will be amazed at Jesus. You will be in that group, because you believed what we told you.

That is why we always pray for you, asking our God to help you live the kind of life he called you to live. We pray that with his power God will help you do the good things you want and perform the works that come from your faith. We pray all this so that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ will have glory in you, and you will have glory in him. That glory comes from the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Brothers and sisters, we have something to say about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and the time when we will meet together with him. Do not become easily upset in your thinking or afraid if you hear that the day of the Lord has already come. Someone may say this in a prophecy or in a message or in a letter as if it came from us.

Do not let anyone fool you in any way. That day of the Lord will not come until the turning away from God happens and the Man of Evil, who is on his way to hell, appears. He will be against and put himself above anything called God or anything that people worship. And that Man of Evil will even go into God's Temple and sit there and say that he is God. I told you when I was with you that all this would happen. Do you not remember? And now you know what is stopping that Man of Evil so he will appear at the right time. The secret power of evil is already working in the world, but there is one who is stopping that power. And he will continue to stop it until he is taken out of the way. Then that Man of Evil will appear, and the Lord Jesus will kill him with the breath that comes from his mouth and will destroy him with the glory of his coming. The Man of Evil will come by the power of Satan. He will have great power, and he will do many different false miracles, signs, and wonders. He will use every kind of evil to trick those who are lost. They will die, because they refused to love the truth. (If they loved the truth, they would be saved.) For this reason God sends them something powerful that leads them away from the truth so they will believe a lie. So all those will be judged guilty who did not believe the truth, but enjoyed doing evil.

Brothers and sisters, whom the Lord loves, God chose you from the beginning to be saved. So we must always thank God for you. You are saved by the Spirit that makes you holy and by your faith in the truth. God used the Good News that we preached to call you to be saved so you can share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So, brothers and sisters, stand strong and continue to believe the teachings we gave you in our speaking and in our letter.

May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father encourage you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say. God loved us, and through his grace he gave us a good hope and encouragement that continues forever.

And now, brothers and sisters, pray for us that the Lord's teaching will continue to spread quickly and that people will give honor to that teaching, just as happened with you. And pray that we will be protected from stubborn and evil people, because not all people believe. But the Lord is faithful and will give you strength and will protect you from the Evil One. The Lord makes us feel sure that you are doing and will continue to do the things we told you. May the Lord lead your hearts into God's love and Christ's patience.

Brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ we command you to stay away from any believer who refuses to work and does not follow the teaching we gave you. You yourselves know that you should live as we live. We were not lazy when we were with you. And when we ate another person's food, we always paid for it. We worked very hard night and day so we would not be an expense to any of you. We had the right to ask you to help us, but we worked to take care of ourselves so we would be an example for you to follow. When we were with you, we gave you this rule: "Anyone who refuses to work should not eat." We hear that some people in your group refuse to work. They do nothing but busy themselves in other people's lives. We command those people and beg them in the Lord Jesus Christ to work quietly and earn their own food. But you, brothers and sisters, never become tired of doing good. If some people do not obey what we tell you in this letter, then take note of them. Have nothing to do with them so they will feel ashamed. But do not treat them as enemies. Warn them as fellow believers.

Now may the Lord of peace give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you. I, Paul, end this letter now in my own handwriting. All my letters have this to show they are from me. This is the way I write. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.

Brilliant book. It really hit home for me... being lazy and not working. I highlighted the verses that made my brain tick. I might comment on it more at a later time. Johnny Out.

Grace Study – Edition #3

July 4^th to 6^th, 2007

Grace Study – Edition #3

(Notes from Edition #1)

Grace (noun):

Chên (Prounounced: khane)

• Graciousness, that is, subjectively (kindness, favor) or objectively (beauty): - favor, grace or gracious, pleasant, precious, favored or well favored.
• Favor, grace or charm; in elegance or in acceptance.

Grace (noun):

• Of form or person (Proverbs 1:9; 3:22; Psalm 45:2).
• Favor, kindness, friendship (Genesis 6:8; 18:3; 19:19; 2 Timothy 1:9).
• God's forgiving mercy (Romans 11:6; Ephesians 2:5).
• The gospel as distinguished from the law (John 1:17; Romans 6:14; 1 Peter 5:12).
• Gifts freely bestowed by God; as miracles, prophecy, tongues (Romans 15:15; 1 Corinthians 15:10; Ephesians 3:8).
• Christian virtues (2 Corinthians 8:7; 2 Peter 3:18).
• The glory hereafter to be revealed (1 Peter 1:13).

And now, Edition #3

TODAY’S NEWS!!!

Subject: ANOTHER TERRORIST

At New York's Kennedy airport today, an individual later discovered to be a public school teacher was arrested trying to board a flight while in possession of a ruler, a protractor, a set square, a slide rule, and a calculator.

At a morning press conference, the attorney general said he believes the man is a member of the notorious Al-gebra movement. He is being charged by the FBI with carrying weapons of math instruction. “Al-gebra is a fearsome cult," a Justice Department spokesman said. "They desire average solutions by means and extremes, and sometimes go off on tangents in a search of absolute value. They use secret code names like 'x' and 'y' and refer to themselves as 'unknowns', but we have determined they belong to a common denominator of the axis of medieval with coordinates in every country. As the Greek philanderer Isosceles used to say, 'there are 3 sides to every triangle'."

When asked to comment on the arrest, President Bush said, "If God had wanted us to have better weapons of math instruction, He would have given us more fingers and toes".

Two brothers go camping. Billy is wearing his FAVORITE shirt in the whole world!

Suddenly, Philip gets bit by a poisonous snake. Billy calls the doctor.

He tells the story and they reply back. "This is TERIBLE! Quick, wrap his bite with something like your shirt or he might die."

Philip cries out a question, "What did the doc... ouch... say?"

"Doctor says you’re going to die!"

Romans 11:1-6
I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew. Don't you know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah—how he appealed to God against Israel: “Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me”? And what was God's answer to him? "I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal. So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.

Grace is what saves me. Nothing else. I can't "earn" salvation, but I can't sit around and do literally nothing, either (see James on that one).

A dude gets into a taxi after a long night at the bars and halfway home decides he needs some fast food.

He taps the driver on the shoulder and suddenly the driver SCREAMS!! --swerves across the road and jumps the sidewalk stopping just short of a cement barrier.

Then driver turns around and says "Don't EVER, EVER tap me on the shoulder while I'm driving!!"

The passenger says, "GEEZ. I'm sorry; I didn't know it would scare you so much."

The driver replies, "before this I drove a HEARSE for 25 years!!”

Ephesians 2:1-10
As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

This scripture simply reiterates that grace is what saves. I couldn't give enough money to the church, walk little old ladies across the street, work at a food bank enough to earn the gift God gives.

An elderly man had serious hearing problems for many years. He went to the doctor and the doctor was able to have him fitted for a set of hearing aids that allowed him to hear 100%.

The elderly man went back in a month to the doctor and the doctor diagnosed, “Your hearing is perfect! Your family must be very pleased.”

To which the elderly man said, “Oh, I haven't told them yet. I just sit and listen to their conversations. I've already changed my will three times!”

I liked putting the jokes here... if you stop to think about them, it hits home... what I like about this little study is that it shows that the grace of God is what saves me. It doesn't mention everything in the Bible, obviously... like baptism saves and faith saves. It's one piece of the puzzle. Anyway, Johnny Out.