Entrusting: Part V

Entrust (verb):

• To give over (something) to another for care, protection, or performance.
• To give as a trust to (someone).
• To charge or invest with a trust or responsibility; charge with a specified office or duty involving trust.
• To commit (something) in trust to; confide, as for care, use, or performance.

Here are the previous posts on this study:

• Entrusting: Part IV
• Entrusting: Part III
• Entrusting: Part II
• Entrusting: Part I

Entrusting

• Inspired by Prayer (Luke 6:12)
• Self Sacrifice
• Purposeful
• Unconditional
• Inspired by God
• One Poured Out
• Oblivious
• Intention Development
• Vision Led and Long Term

Entrustment is Faith
Definition: Firm belief in something or someone for which there is no proof.

Even at Jesus’ Death there was no proof!

Jesus’ Death was like a Single Seed.

Unless You Die!

John 12:24 says: I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.

When a seed Dies it is not Guaranteed to Multiply.

Luke 8:11-15

"This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life's worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop."

Apostolic Soils:

• Those heard and never responded (Path)
• Those who followed with joy, time of testing will fall away, had no root. ‘Then Jesus told them, “This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written: “ ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered’ (Matt 26:31)
• Those who where choked by riches of Life (Judas).

There is no Fruit until you Die!

Am I entrusting in others? Am I willing to go as far as death for others? These are great questions... and I often tell myself it would be easier to die for someone physically than to be consistent spiritually. I do not know if that makes sense, but my wife agreed with me that it does. I think the idea is dying to self... and that it so much harder than simply loosing my physical life. Johnny Out.

Back to Home

Being Clean

This one above is the last time I will post it. I am retiring that logo...
for this one here, the logo-6 replacement. The one up top is just too busy for me. Anyway, this study is about being clean. And when I say clean, I mean spiritually clean. It is often too easy to be dirty. Dirty with sin of this or that nature. And I can fall into the dirty category just as easy as anyone else can.

The Bible is full of scriptures that talk about clean and cleanliness. Doing an NIV search, I found 111 passages with the word clean in it. Do all of them use clean in the meaning of being clean without sin? Probably not. But that is beside the point. Some, if not most, do. And that is where this study is going to be focused.

And the question is, do you want to be something clean for God, like the towels above? Or do you want to be unclean, like the towel below? Both are useful, but one can only be used to make others clean.
Proverbs 51:1-19
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge. Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place. Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you. Save me from bloodguilt, O God, the God who saves me, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. In your good pleasure make Zion prosper; build up the walls of Jerusalem. Then there will be righteous sacrifices, whole burnt offerings to delight you; then bulls will be offered on your altar.

Starting out with a Psalm has to be encouraging. At least it is for me. I will knock on this door a little more tomorrow. Johnny Out.

Back to Home

Texas Heritage Service

Ah, a service at the park. I do like going to outdoor services. They are fun, however, Mackenzie can be a bit of a challenge at times. I will have to start preparing him for this service. Hopefully it will be more fun this year than last year.

Back to Home

Emotion Study: Affection

Learning to Meet the Need of Affection

This is an area where I need to grow in. I need to grow in it in great abundance. And because of that, I am in study.

Affection is the most important emotional need for many, if not most, women. While it is sometimes among the top five emotional needs of men, it is rarely at the top of the list. That’s why it’s so hard for some men to understand its critical importance to their wives.

In His Needs, Her Needs, chapter 3, I explain this tragic situation and how men can learn to become more affectionate. To illustrate my point, I describe a day in the life of an affectionate husband:

• He hugs and kisses his wife every morning while they are still in bed.
• He tells her that he loves her while they have breakfast together.
• He kisses her before leaving for work.
• He calls her during the day to see how she’s doing.
• He buys her flowers once in a while as a surprise and includes his hand-written note expressing his love for her.
• After work, he calls her before he leaves for home, so that she can know when to expect him.
• When he arrives home from work, he gives her a hug and kiss and spends a few minutes talking to her about how her day went.
• He helps her with the dishes after dinner.
• He hugs and kisses her in bed before they go to sleep.

I’ve heard people complain that once affection becomes mechanical, or habitual, it loses its meaning. If it’s not spontaneous, it doesn’t reflect the deep feelings of affection. My answer to that complaint is that if you wait for spontaneity, you’ll be waiting most of your lifetime, especially if your spouse doesn’t share your intense need for affection.

Our behavior is not very spontaneous; it’s essentially habitual. Most of what we do, we repeat again and again. We have limited information-processing capability, and our brains turn most of our behavior into habits so that we can devote our attention to emergencies and new situations. This is what makes our brains efficient. If we had to think about everything we did, we’d need brains the size of houses!

If your spouse needs affection, get used to the idea that you’ll have to learn habits of affection. If they seem boring or mechanical to your spouse, the truth is that you’ve failed to develop the habits that actually meet her needs for affection. Learning to develop the correct habits of affection requires knowing something about your spouse’s reaction to your affectionate habits.

Once you have identified affectionate habits that your spouse would like you to create and others that you should avoid, decide on a plan that will help you form desirable habits and avoid undesirable ones.

Affection (noun):

• Synonyms: liking, friendliness, amity, fondness, friendship, love, devotion, loyalty.
• Fond attachment, devotion, or love.
• A tender feeling toward another; fondness.
• A positive feeling of liking.
• A settled good will; kind feeling; love; zealous or tender attachment.
• The condition of being closely tied to another by affection or faith.

Deuteronomy 10:14-16
To the LORD your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it. Yet the LORD set his affection on your forefathers and loved them, and he chose you, their descendants, above all the nations, as it is today. Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked any longer.

God shows affection. If God is affection, then I should be affectionate. And trust me, I need to learn how to be affectionate.

I think the counter is a bit bright. I will have to dump it and change it around for tomorrow. Johnny Out.

Back to Home

Mother's Day 2008

This is one of those Quiet Times I ended up putting off... I am not sure why. But, I guess it is better late than never.

Genesis 17:15-16
God also said to Abraham, "As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her."

Exodus 20:12
"Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you."

Exodus 21:15,17
"Anyone who attacks his father or his mother must be put to death. "Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death."

Leviticus 19:3
"'Each of you must respect his mother and father, and you must observe my Sabbaths. I am the LORD your God."

Leviticus 21:10-12
"'The high priest, the one among his brothers who has had the anointing oil poured on his head and who has been ordained to wear the priestly garments, must not let his hair become unkempt or tear his clothes. He must not enter a place where there is a dead body. He must not make himself unclean, even for his father or mother, nor leave the sanctuary of his God or desecrate it, because he has been dedicated by the anointing oil of his God. I am the LORD."

Now, I am finding this last scripture quite interesting. I think all of these scriptures are brilliant and applicable to today, but this last one has caught my attention. I think I am going to meditate on it, let it roll around my head a bit and come back to it tomorrow.

Back to Home