Mon, Jul 27th - 1:47PM

Throwing Trash in the Bin...

Usually, I would have a Scripture for you.  However, this time I feel like just laying it out and letting you examine what I say against the Scriptures.

Today, I observed a lady.  She had a small piece of trash that she picked up when she left the train.  I watched her walk by a trash can and cast it towards the opening of that trash can.

It fell short.  She walked on, not noticing, it appeared.  She had one child in a stroller and another in tow.  It didn't make me judge her too much, but it started me thinking.

So I was wondering, what made her not notice that the trash that she intended (I think and hope) to put in the trash can had not made it there?

I considered the distractions.  I considered the intent.  But ultimately, I think it came down to just being ignorant of the fact that the trash was not put where it belonged.

What could cause this?  Again I observed the children.  I noted that she seemed to be in a hurry.  But I reduced it to what seemed to be the point:  Ignorance is of many types.  Hers was nothing unique.  I came up with three generalizations, although certainly there could be more.

She could have been Deceptively Ignorant.  In other words:  She knew, but pretended not to.  This is an evil that by not saying anything about someone's actions, you might be condoning.  I think we do that all the time.

She could have been Deliberately Ignorant.  In other words:  She knew she should check, but really did not wish to know, so she did not check.  She could say she did not know, but she still should have known.

She could have been Disturbingly Ignorant.  In other words:  She should have known, as far as you or I can see.  But she could have honestly and naively believed that everything was just fine.  She may not have checked, but she really did not have a clue that she should have.

In all three of these cases, there is one common thread.  That is, what should we do?

Simple:  Tell them, matter of factly (since we really don't know which of these or any other variation applies) that they missed the mark.  Don't judge the actor, but focus on the action.  Then pick the trash up if they do not and you are able to.  In this real case, I did neither.  So, what does that make me?

Just a short one -- If you want to put a scripture to this, by all means feel free to do so. 

To God be the Glory,

Mel

Wed, Jul 15th - 2:54PM

Old School

Remember when you were just a wee child?  Right was right and wrong was wrong.  Well, that kind of 'Old School' thinking seems to be passe for some folks.  However, I think it still stands.  I've a few passages to share...

    ³Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD?
         And who may stand in His holy place?
    ⁴He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
         Who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood
         And has not sworn deceitfully.

Psalm 24:3-4 (NASB)

 ¹⁴ Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;
       love and faithfulness go before you.

Psalm 89:14 (NIV)

 ¹⁰ I have not kept the good news of your justice hidden in my heart;
      I have talked about your faithfulness and saving power.
   I have told everyone in the great assembly
      of your unfailing love and faithfulness.

Psalm 40:10 (NLT)

 ³ Send forth your light and your truth,
       let them guide me;
       let them bring me to your holy mountain,
       to the place where you dwell.

Psalm 43:3 (NIV)

 ⁴ In your majesty ride forth victoriously
       in behalf of truth, humility and righteousness;
       let your right hand display awesome deeds.

Psalm 45:4 (NIV)

 ²³ A poor man's field may produce abundant food,
       but injustice sweeps it away.

Proverbs 13:23 (NIV)

 ¹⁵ " 'Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly.

Leviticus 19:15 (NIV)

 ² "Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you give testimony in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd, ³ and do not show favoritism to a poor man in his lawsuit.

Exodus 23:2-3 (NIV)

 ¹ ‘If a person sins in hearing the utterance of an oath, and is a witness, whether he has seen or known of the matter—if he does not tell it, he bears guilt.

Leviticus 5:1 (NKJV)

Now I ask you to put into this context this quote:

“Whether born from experience or inherent physiological or cultural differences … our gender and national origins may and will make a difference in our judging. I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn't lived that life.”

If you don't understand who that is from, it is from Obama's Supreme Court Nominee.  That is her stand.  She tries to take this back, but she cannot, because her record proves out her words here.  Unfortunately, that is not in line with what even you or I should do in light of God's Word.  How much better is it to have a Judge of such high standing who is guided by bias, even if it is for the downtrodden or the poor, supposedly.  God's word makes no allowance for that.  In fact, it specifically prohibits such favoritism in all that we do.  I've an opinion that Sotomayor will not serve Justice, but will serve Another, even though she may not Believe it.  Her lack of faith does not make it less so.  She is led by the nose and is ignorant of the fact.  And even our poor will pay the price, I am afraid.

Pray hard on this matter.  Make your understanding of God's will known!  That is your responsibility!

In Christ,

Mel

Wed, Jul 8th - 2:15PM

Now for Commentary

Ok guys, I know that I put a lot of passages down on May 20th, and did not have the time to explain what I am seeing in them.

In Deuteronomy 17:14, we see God say that he knew ahead of time that there would be a certain type of rebellion in His People.  They would say:  "Let us set a king over us like all the nations around us," and would in short order, put a layer between themselves and their own accountability.  He saw this.  I am not thinking it was a good thing, and I am hearing a sigh in the winds expressing a very deep feeling about this.  In verse 20 it outlines the demeanor the king should have when it says:  "...and not consider himself better than his brothers and turn from the law to the right or to the left."

I ask you to look at our current "King" and ask yourself, if this kind of "King" should be expecting anything along the lines of:  "Then he and his descendants will reign a long time over his kingdom in Israel."  Yes, this is not Israel, but are we God's Chosen People and is Israel a land or a people?  Hmmm....  Many people say this is not a Christian Nation.  To them I say, maybe not anymore, but that is not by my choosing and I lay that on you who declare that you desire to be "like all the nations around us..."  I have no such desire!  Should I be tolerant and even accomodating of other ways of thinking?  Yes and No.  Tolerant is often taken to mean "Accepting" a point of view.  If you insinuate that I must "Accept" different points of view, you intrude upon my thoughts in ways you ask me not to intrude upon yours.  I can Tolerate, but you cannot force me to Accept, or you are a hypocrite.  I am sorry, but to that, I must say NO!  Accomodating is often taken as I can speak nothing against what I am accomodating.  At that point, I am no longer just accomodating, but I am participating by acquiescing and condoning their actions by not speaking out against what I see as wrong thinking.  Accomodation is about making way for another to act, not about supporting what they do as right.  Our totally 'PC' culture has us believing these fundamental lies and make us deny other truths based upon our silence!  For me, 'PC' means "Probabaly Crap" and I do mean that with all sincerity!  We are told to sacrifice our God on the Altar of this "Free Nation" and I see nothing of "Freedom" in what we are being forced, yes FORCED to do!  I say, resist and rebel!  Take up arms, fellow soldiers.  The battle is at hand!

In the passage 1 Samuel 8:6-18, I want to point out something.  Most people read this and think it is only talking about Saul.  Our government today still takes what is the Lord's Portion.  The attitude is that they are God.  Sometimes this is conscious on their part, sometimes, it is not.  Undeniably, however, they TAKE the firstfruits.  Think about it.  If there is a "Sales Tax", does the sale ever go through without the tax first being taken?  If there is a bancruptcy, and you owe Student Loans or Taxes to the Government, are they Forgiven like all the others you owe?  If you don't know this, open your eyes!  The Government is not forgiving!  You may pay all other debtors nothing and still come out of bankruptcy owing more to the Government than you can ever pay, even if the Bill they are assessing you for is an impuned (not proven) amount that they simply say you owe with no valid reason for making such a claim.  And that is the power they have now.  Are you willing to give them more?  They want more and will steal it as long as you will let them.  Or are you under the impression that they deserve the greatest and best and brightest to serve them personally?  Yes, this is for their sake that they do this.  It is not for you and I.  Ask yourself who is the highest person in government that you think has not been touched with corruption.  Name them.  Now look into them and prepare to be disappointed.  They are not God, after all, but frail flesh and blood, just like you and I.  Diefy them, and you sin.  It is called Idolotry.  I wonder how high up on the list that one is?

Now about tithes.  I do not say not to give 1/10th to your church.  I ask you to re-examine this before casting stones, however.  Only 1/3 of that 1/10th went to the Levites, and part of that was to take care of the "...aliens, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns may come and eat and be satisfied, and so that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands."  Um, excuse me, but I think someone other than the Government was supposed to be doing this.  What happened?  Point to the government and say that THEY are responsible to take care of this, and you participate in just this lie.  You do not give to God what is asked of you.  So what did Christ REALLY mean when He Said, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's." I ask you?  What he is saying is that we are giving to Caesar what is God's.  It is quite clear, but obscured to those whose eyes are blinded by this world.

BTW, I am not giving as much as I'd like.  I would like to give God what Caesar steals from me, and then some more.  I do teach my children the "guideline" of 1/10th in a very simple way:  Their allowance is $10 a week, given to them as 1 $5 bill and 5 $1 bills just as we go into church.  I instruct but do not force or even denigrate my children for failure to comply with tithing.  Their questions, above all else, amuse me.  They bring me joy in their innocence!  I do look at it this way, if blessings are withheld from me for my inability to give what I think I should, I figure it is good enough that by children should be blessed instead.  Did the plunder go to God and the Levites by the same 1/10th rule?  What is this about feasting and such?  "Eat the tithe of your grain, new wine and oil, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks in the presence of the LORD your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name, so that you may learn to revere the LORD your God always."  You must do here what your faith tells you to do.  Not what I say.  Not what someone else trys to lay upon your shoulders.  What God says to you.  It is fair for you to ask others for guidance and follow what they say, but it is not fair to neglect trying to understand this for yourselves.  Ask God for wisdom.  He will not deny it from you if you sincerely are asking for just that!

Test things.  Don't hold to your "rights" as you see them, so very much.  Sacrifice with a pure heart.  A man must be willing to work, but be careful about measuring the value of the work he does.  I say willing to work is enough.  What they do is not important.  I don't wish to be judged by God on the worthiness of my works by a standard that I am too severe with others in using.  What you get from your employer is not really coming from him.  The person next to you, they work less and get paid as well as you.  So what of it?  Being paid for preaching the Word is Fair.  Selling Prophesy or any Gift from God to those who will pay, is not.  Give Freely.  Accept Gifts Graciously.  Open Your Eyes.  Have a Good Heart.

AMEN and AMEN,

Mel

Fri, Jul 3rd - 6:20PM

My 'Irreducible Complexity'

John Miltenberger speaks about this.  I only echo what he says.

 ²⁹ “The Lord our God has secrets known to no one. We are not accountable for them, but we and our children are accountable forever for all that he has revealed to us, so that we may obey all the terms of these instructions.

Deuteronomy 29:29 (NLT)

John said it thus:  "HIS LIFE FOR ME; MY LIFE FOR HIM"

My way of expressing it is: "Truth for my life; My life for Truth"

???

You see, for me, Truth IS Christ and Christ IS Truth.  I find that makes everything so much simpler for me.  Ok, let me say this:  If I speak the truth and someone says something like "there is no God" in front of me, I naturally say what I think is the Truth.  I witness automatically.  I don't force it.  I don't have a trick that gets me through it.  I simply do it.  And I don't have to wonder about my wisdom or lack thereof quite as much.

The scripture above is for something else I must humble myself with.  I believe that Truth is ultimately black and white, even though I may see it in distorted shades of grey.  My sight may not be as good as yours.  I am only responsible for what I can see, but what I can see, I am responsible for.  Again this is pretty simple.

I just dropped in to share this and say thanks!

In Christ (and Truth),

Mel