The Mind, The Heart, The Soul

These things are at the center of who we are as humans. I know there are some that would say that the mind is located in the frontal lobe of the brain. Some would also say that our hearts are in our chest, functioning as a multipurpose pump and valve that keeps the physical body alive with oxygenated blood. And many, especially those that rely on science, will tell you there is no soul.

For people that actually believe these things, I often wonder how they arrive at any moral approach for living. I think the answer is that they have to steal their morality and life philosophy. Normally, they purloin the Judeo-Christian morality if they live in the West. Even then it gets bent and warped, since they do not believe anything beyond the physical exists.

The truth is that the mind, the heart and the soul are part and parcel of the same thing. The mind tends to be less emotional and more intellectual. The heart (not the pump in you chest) tends to be the seat of emotional responses like empathy, sympathy, lust and anger. They both combine in the soul which is the non-physical part of a human.  The ancients knew of these things, even the ancient pagans. I too am certain of this. I have experienced both the oneness of body and soul and also the separation of the two. I will not elaborate on this except to say that I know there is life outside the bodies we have here. It is a spiritual existence that is different than what we live here.

In the metaphysical sense, it is best if our hearts and minds work in unison. It makes for a more peaceful existence here in the three dimensional realm. Many times however, the heart wants things that the mind knows are not good - not good for the health of the physical body and or not good for the spiritual health of the whole human.  This is why it's best for the mind to control the desires of the heart. It is less emotional, more logical and is more knowing than feeling. Jesus spoke of the deceit of the human heart when he was discussing what it is that makes a man unclean. He said,

Matthew 15:16-20

¹⁶ “Are you still so dull?” Jesus asked them. ¹⁷ “Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? ¹⁸ But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. ¹⁹ For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. ²⁰ These are what defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them.”

For the Christian, this is why both the mind and heart need to be controlled by the Spirit of God. If this does not happen, there can be conflict between the two or worse, the two will be in disagreement with God's Spirit. Not a good situation.

This is why Paul calls for the renewing of the mind.

Romans 12:1,2

12 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. ² Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

The notion of presenting oneself as a living sacrifice is scary. But if we offer ourselves in submission to God; if we submit our minds and hearts to His will, we will be transformed. We will lose that self destructive edge that every human seems to carry and then we will be able to live lives of peace in union with our Creator.

How do we offer ourselves, submit ourselves to God to achieve this transformation?

Obedience. Yup. Sounds easy, but we humans tend to learn obedience by being disobedient. This is unfortunate, but it is true for many of us even among believers.

Use your mind to control the waywardness of your heart and submit to God in obedience and peace and internal conflict will not be such an issue. Some of us are more submissive than others and so the process will be easier for some than others, but sacrificing yourself may involve some pain just so you know.

For me it has been a life long struggle for many reasons. Maybe some day I will have the testicular fortitude to explain it in words or on a screen or publicly out loud, but that time is not now. Suffice it to say, God's Spirit  is moving in me as I seek to submit. It's when I seek to please myself or concern myself with what others (besides God) think, that I get into trouble.

I think most of us know what we have to do. We just fail to do it full time. Living sacrifices tend to crawl off the altar to escape. The thing that will stop that is the death of the sacrifice. We have to choose to die to ourselves and submit to God. Simple and tough, but true.

So is it possible to live a sinless life in perfect harmony with God's will? Can we live our lives and not sin? At least occasionally?

My heart tells me no, but my mind says yes...lets do it and see what happens (:^)))

Someone Was Reading the Daily Ground Hog Today And I Know Who

Call me paranoid, but this blog had an unusual amount of traffic today and most of it happened all at one time, like within a 5 minute period. I pulled up the stats and I showed 241 hits today. On a really good day, TDGH gets 40 hits. I know that sucks, but I don't like crowds.

I also get a report on percentage of browser types used and also operating systems.The operating system used in the time period specified that had the highest percentage (98) of use was Linux.

I do not know many people that use Linux on their desktops, laptops, tablets or phones. Linux is usually for the big industrial users and government. Wikipedia says,

"It is the leading operating system on servers and other big iron systems such as mainframe computers and supercomputers,^[14][15][16] but is used on only around 1% of desktop computers.^[17] "


So, naturally, being the conspiracy freak that I am, I have chosen to assume the worst. I believe that official ears have scanned TDGH and from the looks of it, they hit every blog post and comment. Who else could do this in such a short time period? Who else would bother with a nearly nonexistent blog? And who else would waste precious taxpayer resources on someone like me?

You know who! The picture above explains it all.

And you know what? It's ridiculous. I am a Christian Libertarian, but I am not dangerous. I do have ideas and I do like to make people think, but I am not - repeat - not dangerous. Cynical and sarcastic at times, yes, but otherwise I am meek, mild and unassuming.

Isn't there a banker or an ISIS member you can spy on? Now them guys is dangerous...just sayin.

You Can't Handle The Truth

Have you ever heard the expression, "you create your own reality"? I am finding that after 57 years on the planet, most of us do this to one degree or another. We have this construct in our minds of what the world should be and who we are in it and we then build it according to our own design; in our own image, if you will. I think this is because we cannot handle the truth. We cannot handle the truth about ourselves, about our circumstances, about our friends, about our jobs and the companies we work for, about whatever...

We construct a tissue of lies and proceed to believe them and live them so we do not have to deal with the nasty details of what makes our cushy lives so cushy.

Right now there is a factory in China that employs 250,000 people where they make a certain brand of cell phone. These people live at the factory in dormitories and eat at the company cafeterias. In essence, they are slaves, indentured for a period of time to satisfy the desires of your teenagers to have a hot cell phone. There are mills in India, Sri Lanka, and throughout the African continent that make designer clothing. The shirt that you paid $75.00 for cost .50 cents to make in Colombo. Little Haggi works his fingers to the bone 14 hours a day, 6 days a week, so we can be stylish.

Our government deliberately destabilizes middle eastern nations like Syria and Iraq so that our allies (Saudi Arabia) can build a gas pipeline through those countries to the Mediterranean and Europe. Our government distracts the Russian bear in Europe by destabilizing Ukraine, so the pipeline project can be finished.

This is just the tip of the New World Order iceberg that is headed toward us. We face a future of robots, drone surveillance, genetic modification and genocide that is not far off.

One of these days people, this carefully designed world you have created for you and your family is going to completely unravel if you do not wake up and smell the coffee.

I'm not trying to be a Debbie Downer here. I just want you to be prepared when the feces hit the oscillating wind device, and I am not talking about being a prepper when I say that.

Our lives in this world are short. Depending on where you live, it could be nasty, brutish and short. There is life beyond this one. It is eternal. Where you spend it is not dependent on what you have managed to construct for yourself here. It is dependent on your knowledge and acceptance of the truth. The truth is that Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life and no one will see the bright side of the day after judgement day without acknowledgment of that fact. Hell is real. Spending eternity there is not a prospect that anyone should look forward to. Ruling in Hell is not better than serving in heaven.

The single most important thing that you can do for yourself and for your children is to cozy up to Jesus and talk to him about your future. Get a grasp on the real truth and toss out the reality you have constructed for yourself. It is not real. Stop believing your own lies, bend the knee to Jesus and let Him open up the real truth for you.

I think you can handle it.

How Just One Thing Can Ruin Your Day

Maybe this is just me, but all it really takes is for just one thing to go wrong in my workday and the rest of the day is a complete loss. I work in a small office and there was a dispute today between two employees. The cause of it was an email sent from one employee to the other (in the next cubicle and why would anyone do that?). The receiver interpreted the intent of the email in a negative way, did not like the wording and thought that the sender was trying to supervise her. I do not believe this was the intention, but it happened and the rest of my day was spent trying to keep the peace while conferring with my boss about the situation. Now it looks like HR will get involved and I am so tired of it all, I could scream.

This ground hog needs to retire to a nice burrow in Belize, but he cannot for a number of other reasons, one of them being the care and feeding of Papa Ground hog.

Human beings are bent. I do not exclude myself from the "bentness" of the race.  I do not want to seem self righteous. But really people; work these things out and be willing to admit when you might be wrong.

Why is the world in this condition?

The Church Lady knew.

It's Satan. He has been dogging me too and I'm sick of it.

This was probably incoherent. So be it. That's the way I feel right now.

Lord, please make Wednesday better. Please ask our common enemy to go play some place else tomorrow. Thanks. I know I need to man up and be able to deal with these situations, but that might not be so good either. Show me what you want me to do. I need some rest now. It's going to be tomorrow in just a few seconds 

Trouble in Flathead County

There are really awful places to live in this world (Iraq, Syria, Los Angeles) and you would think a place like Flathead County, Montana would be a paradise compared to them. However, if you read the Flathead County Beacon Police Blotter, you realize there is trouble everywhere...even in Paradise. All of this happened on February 10th. Glad I was not there. The last two entries are my favorites. There is more at the Beacon! 

10:58 a.m. A woman reported that her sister punched her in the back of the head while she was driving.
1:27 p.m. A Bigfork resident reported that his roommate “went nuts” and broke his stuff.
2:01 p.m. A Hungry Horse resident fell victim to some kind of internet software scam.
2:19 p.m. There is an ongoing dog barking issue on Cayuse Lane.
2:57 p.m. A Somers resident who was home sick complained that he was unable to rest because his hyperactive upstairs neighbor was too noisy.
3:24 p.m. A Whitefish resident reported that someone stole his muscle stimulating unit.
5:17 p.m. One power tool was stolen by a medium sized man in Lakeside.
6:17 p.m. A potentially intoxicated woman called from Hungry Horse with complaints regarding the drunken man she lives with and his inability to build a fire that gives off enough heat, but not too much.
11:49 p.m. A Kalispell woman reported that her neighbor’s house smells like chlorine and it’s giving her heartburn.

Spiritual Experience

Spiritual experience is a difficult thing to talk about, mostly because it is after all, spiritual. Spiritual things are not quantifiable in the empirical sense. They cannot  be measured except in the most subjective of terms. I think this is why 'science' will not even study it or acknowledge that there is such a thing as an actual human spirit or a spiritual world. We, as humans, tend to keep things like this in little boxes that we bring out at church or at the yoga class or the latest new age festival during the vernal equinox. We separate our physical existence from our spiritual existence and the result is a grave misunderstanding of what it means to be spiritual and human.

God created us as both body and spirit. It is what makes us unique among all His creations. We are incomplete when our bodies and spirits are separated. It is an unnatural state for a human being. Hence death is an unnatural state for a human being, yet we do die, fragile things that we are. And there are a number of reasons for this phenomenon which goes beyond the scope of this blog post.

Suffice it to say that if death is a separation of our eternal spirit from our bodies, then why is it that we live as though we were already dead, separating our spirituality from our lives in general?

Even Christians, who are fully aware of these things do this and it needs to stop.

We are at our most complete as God's creations when our spirits live in harmony with our bodies and we are at peace with God's spirit that dwells within us also. 

And therein lies both the beauty of spiritual experience and the tyranny of it. Because of the inherited tendency of humans to live outside of the will of God, the body wars with the spirit and if the said same body also has God's spirit within, then the war intensifies. Many Christians collapse exhausted during this war and settle for a less than fabulous existence, falling into a cycle of sin, repentance and forgiveness that stunts spiritual growth and retards spiritual understanding. It's a tragedy and it can be prevented. Even Paul talks a bit about the problems of doing what he does not want to do in Romans 7. It is a pervasive issue. And it becomes more complicated when we begin to believe the lies of our adversary who will always pretend to be on our side until we self destruct.

So the question is....is it possible to live without conflict between body and spirit and with God's spirit. My answer would be yes, but it is not easy and it is not probably something you will be able to do alone. For myself, I am someone, who from all appearances, does not need the help of others. The fact is that as I age, I am finding that God's Spirit is pushing me to seek out others during times of spiritual conflict so that when my end comes, I will have a good finish. Truly, I am becoming obsessed with this idea.

Jesus and Paul said that we need to die to our physical selves with it's desires and emotional reactions and interactions and be lead by God's Spirit. And while this is correct, I think many Christians see this as some sort of emotional experience when it's really not. Christian spirituality is not emotionally based. It is intellectually based. Our salvation and our spiritual well being comes from a knowing and not a feeling. We need to be informed. We need to know. And while winning this war between spirit and flesh is fraught with emotional issues, we need to stay focused on the One that saves. Our spirits need to work in conjunction with God's spirit to quiet the brokenness of our physical bodies and live in harmony with God. It requires our cooperation. We have to participate in our own rehabilitation. It will not be magical....oh, would that not be easy....but I digress.

It also is instructive, helpful and necessary for us to work within a framework of community to achieve this purpose. That community is the church. Within our churches there are thousands of years of spiritual experience, both good and bad, that we can draw on. The support of our brothers and sisters through prayer and personal communion is essential to this process.

This means sharing our spiritual issues with others, and while I would rather have hemorrhoid surgery than share my personal spiritual issues with anyone; if I really want resolution to my spiritual issues, this may be my answer. There are all kinds of reasons not to do this. My mind is calculating all the negatives right now.

But if I want to be able to live in harmony with my God, both in body and in spirit, it would behoove me to seek all the assistance I can get.

After all, we only get one soul. Our bodies will be replaced by a newer, more eternal model. If this one collapses from withdrawal, so be it.

Got to go to work now.

Why Study The Bible...

For us Christians, it's important to know about our faith. We need to be prepared as the blog post below indicates, but we also need to grow spiritually, both as individuals in the body and together as the one unit - the Church. There are a number of venues for that. There is personal study. There is Christian or Bible college. And there is the Church itself. Some of the most valuable spiritual knowledge can be gained by studying side by side with your brothers and sisters in Christ. There is a vast amount of spiritual experience to be mined at church. That's why I would suggest that you look into attending an adult Sunday school class or Bible study at you church. Christian spirituality is intellectually based. It's more than a feeling. It's a knowing. How can you know anything unless you study and learn. Paul put it this way in Ephesians 4:11-16:

¹¹ So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, ¹² to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up ¹³ until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

¹⁴ Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. ¹⁵ Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. ¹⁶ From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

A properly functioning New Testament style church requires instruction to be able to go where Jesus want it to go. Studying the Word of God is your ticket to go on that ride. As God's saints, we have to be prepared. You can do that in Sunday School.

See ya tomorrow right? OK.
   

The Full Armor of God

 
As Christians, we all face times of spiritual testing and trial. What we do in those times depends to a great extent on whether we are prepared. Any test requires study. Any trial requires testimony and witness.We must prepare.

Paul saw these trials and tests in terms of war; spiritual warfare, and that is about the best way to put it.  We are at war and not with non-believers or even other believers that may disagree with us. We are at war with the source of these troubles. Satan declared war on us when Jesus claimed us as His own and took away his twin weapons of sin and death. The Devil is a sore loser. He will not go down alone if he can prevent it. His job from his point of view is to take as many us out of the game as possible and prevent others from seeing the truth and joining us. He is a subtle adversary that takes souls wherever he can and his armies are vast. They have infiltrated every institution from the government to the Church; from the secular to the sublime. They are Lucifer's special forces teams working throughout the world to send as many people to Hell as possible. This is their mission.  

Paul used military language in Ephesians 6:10-18 to describe how we should prepare so that we can stand in times of trouble. I quoted this yesterday in the blog post below, but I did not detail it. What I can tell you is this.

He says to be strong in the power of God. Put on His full armor. the reason for this is what I have already alluded to - that our struggle is not against flesh and blood. It is against the dark spiritual forces of the spiritual world that exists in the same time and space as we exist in. We must be prepared for their intervention in our world.

Paul described several defensive spiritual weapons in our arsenal that protect us during periods of trial and testing. There is the belt of truth. It sort of holds together our combat gear in a way that protects. The belt of truth is the enduring principles of the Word of the Living God. As long as we are bound tightly by them, we will not fail.

Then there is the breastplate of righteousness. This is another very important bit of spiritual armor that no Christian should spend a day in the world without. It should be noted here that this is NOT the Christians own righteousness. This is the righteousness of God that is given to every Christian for their faith in Him. It is a gift that is close to the heart. It protects the soul from permanent damage or damage that could cause spiritual death.

Spiritual footwear is also important. Our feet have to be fitted with footwear designed for the agility required in battle. Only the gospel of peace will work here.When we are shod with this, we will move with the grace of God even in the heat of the spiritual battle..

Then there is the shield of faith that protects us from the unexpected flaming arrows launched by this demonic army. The best thing about the shield of faith is that it may be used in conjunction with the shields of other believers to protect an entire group under spiritual attack and even those who may have lost their shields temporarily. This is a Christian's most valuable defensive weapon...along with the helmet of salvation. This helmet is another gift from God for our faith. When the negative spiritual forces in the world see a number of these helmets gathered together, they become fearful. It reminds them of their inevitable defeat.

We do have one offensive weapon at our disposal and it is offensive to many in this world. It is the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. This the most powerful weapon believers have in their arsenals. The writer of Hebrews, in Hebrews 4:12 says this:

¹² For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

This sword can take down any spiritual enemy when used correctly.  And that brings up my final comment. All the armor and defensive gear in the world will avail you nothing if you do not practice using them. They become just useless bits of a spiritual costume if you do not actively prepare to meet the enemy. Use of the sword is particularly important. Know your sword. Take care of it and learn how to use it...otherwise it's a blunt instrument that will fail you when you need it most.

I will close with this from First Peter 5:8

⁸ Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

Stay Frosty. No one wants to be the Devil's lunch. 

Pagan Revival in Iceland

Europe seems to be returning to it's roots. The Caucasian population of western Europe is beginning to embrace their race as the onslaught of middle-eastern migration to the area continues at a record pace. The path they have chosen is an interesting one. They are looking to the gods of their ancestors to reinvigorate their native and national pride. Throughout Scandinavia there is a resurgence of interest in the ancient pre-Christian gods of their people. Their is revival is real.

In Iceland, construction will begin soon on the first temple to Odin and the Norse gods in over 1000 years. It will be interesting to see if the revival grows and spreads to Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark.

According to the Guardian:

 

"Icelanders will soon be able to publicly worship at a shrine to Thor, Odin and Frigg with construction starting this month on the island’s first major temple to the Norse gods since the Viking age.

Back for Thor: how Iceland is reconnecting with its pagan past

Worship of the gods in Scandinavia gave way to Christianity around 1,000 years ago but a modern version of Norse paganism has been gaining popularity in Iceland.
“I don’t believe anyone believes in a one-eyed man who is riding about on a horse with eight feet,” said Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson, high priest of Ásatrúarfélagið, an association that promotes faith in the Norse gods.
“We see the stories as poetic metaphors and a manifestation of the forces of nature and human psychology.”
Membership in Ásatrúarfélagið has tripled in Iceland in the last decade to 2,400 members last year, out of a total population of 330,000, data from Statistics Iceland showed.
The temple will be circular and will be dug 4 metres (13ft) down into a hill overlooking the Icelandic cap."

One has to wonder how long it will take for other people groups in the world return to the superstitions of their ancestors and whether they will take these faiths seriously, practicing them as they did in ancient times. The post Christian age is upon us. We have to be prepared. This could be the return of full scale evil.  This can only come from demonic sources.

So be prepared

Ephesians 6:12-17

 ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ¹³ Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Psalm 139:1-18

These are the thoughts of David about the Lord. He was right. You can run, but you can't hide. If you are His, you will not get away. He will do whatever it takes to break you and bring you home.

You have searched me, Lord,
    and you know me.
² You know when I sit and when I rise;
    you perceive my thoughts from afar.
³ You discern my going out and my lying down;
    you are familiar with all my ways.
⁴ Before a word is on my tongue
    you, Lord, know it completely.
⁵ You hem me in behind and before,
    and you lay your hand upon me.
⁶ Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
    too lofty for me to attain.

⁷ Where can I go from your Spirit?
    Where can I flee from your presence?
⁸ If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
    if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
⁹ If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
    if I settle on the far side of the sea,
¹⁰ even there your hand will guide me,
    your right hand will hold me fast.
¹¹ If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
    and the light become night around me,”
¹² even the darkness will not be dark to you;
    the night will shine like the day,
    for darkness is as light to you.

13 For you created my inmost being;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,
    I know that full well.
¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you
    when I was made in the secret place,
    when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
¹⁶ Your eyes saw my unformed body;
    all the days ordained for me were written in your book
    before one of them came to be.
¹⁷ How precious to me are your thoughts,^[a] God!
    How vast is the sum of them!
¹⁸ Were I to count them,
    they would outnumber the grains of sand—
    when I awake, I am still with you.

Moses - The Lord's Introvert

When Jews and Christians think of Moses, they will most likely describe him as the greatest leader and prophet of all time. Christians would make an exception for Jesus who is also the Son of God, but Moses would follow close behind. And Moses was indeed a great man called by the Lord God to lead the descendants of Jacob out of the land of their servitude into a place promised to them and their ancestors. But God's choice of Moses to do this thing is a bit of a mystery to my mind.

Moses was no ordinary man to be sure. He was the son of Hebrew slaves that had been reared in the King's household. He enjoyed privilege and the best education; something that was most likely denied to the Hebrew slave population. But he was also a Hebrew and He knew this. The condition of his people in Egypt frustrated him. He even killed an Egyptian for excessive cruelty to one of his people. When this became known, Moses had to flee Egypt for the desert.

His journey ended in the tents of Jethro and the Midianites, where he met his wife and became a shepherd. For 40 years Moses tended sheep in the Sinai with no one but his family and his wife's tribe as support. I'm sure it was very different from life in Egypt. It actually sounds kind of peaceful and serene.

It's my thought that only an introvert could accept such a life. It would destroy an extrovert. Nevertheless, the Lord God chose Moses to lead His people out of Egypt. The event took place on the slopes of a mountain where Moses spied a bush that burned with fire but was not consumed. He left his shepherding duties to see what this was about.

The rest is history. The God of all creation approached him with a job offer through this burning bush.

The amazing thing is that Moses, rather than submitting immediately in fear to the theophany, began to question God. He was an 80 year old man with a good life out there in the desert. Why should he take of on such a dangerous adventure?

He asked/said to God:

"Who am I that I should go...."
"What if they ask me what your name is..."
"What if they (Israelites) do not believe me..."
"I have never been eloquent....I am slow of speech..."
“Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.”

These are the kinds of things that any introvert will put forward to avoid being put in a leadership position. Fortunately, God was not tricked. He was actually getting a bit angry at Moses, but Moses continued to press the issue. He did not want to do this thing, but he did finally submit to God's will.

God empowered him to do what needed to be done. He and the Lord became close friends and together they lead their people out of Egypt and toward nationhood. It was a hard road, but Moses finally achieved what God put Him up to when he was 120 years old, and then God took him home.

Moses makes one more appearance in the days of Jesus. He and Elijah appear at the transfiguration with Christ as God proclaims His pleasure with the work of His Son.We do not know if Moses or Elijah said anything, but God was quite please at that moment. His great plan was coming to completion...just goes to show you...we never know who God will use.The quiet guy might be the one.

Depression

I have threatened to write about this for awhile, but I never seem to get around to it because I always think that reviewing it will suck me back into the cycle.

Depression is an awful thing. It can make you want to sleep for days. It can make you cry for no reason. It can make you hate yourself and the others around you. It can addict you to prescription and non prescription remedies, aka self medication. There is no way around.

There are many people that "think" they know what causes depression. The most popular is bad brain chemistry brought on by who knows what. I have heard everything from food additives and preservatives to agricultural chemicals or a faulty gene pool. The more "religious" types like to ascribe depression to guilt about sin and the sin could be most anything. The problem with that one is that it does not afflict everyone and this is not because they do not sin. I think it has more to do with our concept of who we are in God's eyes and whether or not we love ourselves. Much of the whole shame issue can traced right back to how we were brought up, what family life was like and whether we were allowed to forget our errors in life or they were brought out again and again to club us like  baby seals whenever we failed. 

Forgiving oneself for past failures (whether classified as sin or not) is the key avoiding a nasty bout of depression. If you can do that, it's a giant step in the right direction. God gives us His grace. If He can do it, there is no reason to withhold it from ourselves. The upside of this is that if we treat ourselves better, we will treat others better, we will have more friends and our mental attitude will improve.

Another thing that improves my mood is sunlight. The short days of November and December just oppress me and if it's a time of constant cloud cover, I know I am doomed. I need sunlight. There is no amount of vitamin D that will replace it.

Finally, I would advise that if you know someone prone to depression and you love them, please monitor them. It is no longer an issue with me for a number of reasons, but suicidal thoughts are not uncommon. My personal thought is that this is demonic in nature. Spiritual forces taking advantage of a bad situation. But if it is just bad brain chemistry, look for ways to fight it. Use exercise, stay busy, do not drink and my advice do not watch TV. A little vitamin D could not hurt either. I am opposed to the use of anti-depressants. I think they can have an opposite effect, but if they work for you, go for it. Most important - Love Yourself. God loves you and He did not create Junk. Hang in there. I know how it is. 

Happy Birthday George

The first president of the United States is an enigma to many. Americans tend to create him in their own image in much the same way they do their God.

Whoever you were in your time George, I am glad you were there. I apologize for what we've done with the place. I am concerned that we have become a bit like your adversary during the revolution, trying to control the world through whatever means possible. It's kind of sad.

We have become comfortable and it seems like we will do anything to ensure that our comfort remains undisturbed no matter who has to pay for it or how many lives are lost. We will trample on the unalienable rights of everyone else to maintain our own.

Is this what you wanted for us George? Probably not.

The Savior is Waiting

This was the song we were singing when Jesus yanked me out of my seat in April of 1971 in a Bible college chapel in Joplin, Missouri. What a long strange trip it's been since that time. I praise His name for all the second chances. Give Nikkimae a listen. She's good.

Be A Servant Like Your Master

Philippians 2 New International Version (NIV)

2 Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, ² then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. ³ Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, ⁴ not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

⁵ In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

⁶ Who, being in very nature^[a] God,
    did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
⁷ rather, he made himself nothing
    by taking the very nature^[b] of a servant,
    being made in human likeness.
⁸ And being found in appearance as a man,
    he humbled himself
    by becoming obedient to death—
        even death on a cross!

⁹ Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
    and gave him the name that is above every name,
¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
¹¹ and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father.

¹² Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, ¹³ for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.
¹⁴ Do everything without grumbling or arguing, ¹⁵ so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.”^[c] Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky ¹⁶ as you hold firmly to the word of life.

It still boggles my mind when I read it. Part of God actually came to earth as a man and served His creations. Jesus Christ gave up the glories and riches of heaven to spend some time with us, teaching us how to live in a way pleasing to God and then he offered His life in service to us. I am forever grateful. Thanks Lord.

Go to church tomorrow. Visit a Sunday school class or Bible class. Learn how to get yourself back with God. Put away the rebellion and the anger and the hate and submit to His will. He is waiting. Anything He asks you to give up or anything He might ask you to do is a small sacrifice for the things that await in the next life. This one is only practice anyway.  Why do it alone?

The High Crimes and Misdemeanors Of Abraham Lincoln

 
When I was sophomore at a Christian college in Texas back in the 70's, I went through some culture shock. Texas is, in some respects, a nation unto itself and it was most definitely a part of what was called the Confederacy back in the mid 19th century. What I learned while there was that wounds heal slowly and if those wounds are cultural, sometimes they just go on festering and itching and never completely heal.

I was an Iowa boy that grew up believing that Abraham Lincoln was the greatest American president in the history of the Republic with the possible exception of George Washington. I was taught this in school. It was reinforced by my family and there were monuments in Washington DC to prove it. So when this ground hog went to Texas and to college and he studied American history under the tutelage of Dr Smith (whose first name escapes me), he had to reassess his initial programming.

When we came to the history of what I thought was the American Civil War, me and my classmates were all quickly informed that it was not the civil war, but in fact it was the war between the states. Then for the next two days, we had to endure a lecture about the 16 impeachable offenses of Abraham Lincoln. My first thought was that Dr Smith was a revisionist and we were being treated to an alternate version of American Civil War history that was not written by the victors of said war. But as I listened (and tried to argue with without success), the crimes of Lincoln and the Union government of the north were revealed to me in convincing fashion. I felt like a light had been turned on in my brain.

The war between the states was a terrible thing and it had nothing to do with slavery. It had everything to do with the death of states rights and increasing the power of the federal government over them. In a very real sense, the good guys lost that war. It's true that slavery is a terrible thing, but the fact is that slavery was on its way out as an institution. The industrial revolution was under way throughout the western world and slaves were going to be replaced by factories and machines that did agricultural work. Slavery was doomed. This war was not about slavery. It was about consolidation of political power and economic power.

All of this came flooding back to me yesterday when I got to thinking about Lincoln (it was his birthday) and googled a few things. I found this article in the Southern Sentinel blog that details the whole issue. I thought I would share some of it here. Let me know what you think.

   
LINCOLN’S CRIMES
1. Lincoln waged a war that cost the lives of 620,000 Americans. Including the murder of 50,000 innocent Southern civilians.
2. He arrested several thousand Marylanders suspected of Southern sympathies, including 30 members of the State legislature, a US Congressman representing Maryland, the mayor and police commissioner of Baltimore, and most of the Baltimore city council. These political detainees were imprisoned in Fort McHenry and Point Lookout without trial, in many cases, for several years.
3. He suspended the writ of habeas corpus without the consent of Congress (as required by the Constitution).
4. He illegally shut down and confiscated the printing presses of dozens of newspapers that had spoken out against him.
5. He re-instated and summarily promoted an Army officer who had been court martialed and cashiered by the US Army for war crimes.
6. He even had an arrest warrant issued for the Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court because said justice refused to back his illegal actions.
7. Chief Justice Roger B Taney ruled that Lincolns actions were illegal, criminal and unconstitutional.
8. He invaded the South without the consent of Congress as required by the Constitution.
9. He blockaded Southern ports without a delclaration of war, as required by the Constitution.
10. He imprisoned without trial, hundreds of newspaper editors and owners and censored all newspaper and telegraph communication.
11. He created two new states without the consent of the citizens of those states in order to artificially inflate the Republican Partys electoral vote.
12. He ordered Federal troops to interfere with Northern elections to assure his Parties victories.
13. He confiscated private property, including firearms, in violation of the Second Amendment; and effectively gutted the Tenth and Ninth Amendments as well.
14. He had his Generals attack US cities full of women and children and burn them to the ground.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. Number 14 is particularly interesting to me. There were Iowans in the front lines of General Sherman's army when he put Atlanta to the torch. And when that army marched north to Columbia, it was an Iowan that tore the Confederate flag from the rooftop of the capitol. That flag is on display today in the capitol building in Des Moines. Is it any wonder that southerners still refer to that time as "the recent unpleasantness"? I doubt they will ever forget it. It is deeply burned in the southern conscience. 

 

The Great Conspiracies Of Our Time...The Devil Is in the Details

As it's Lincoln's birthday today, I though it might be interesting to look at some comparisons between the Lincoln assassination and the JFK assassination. I found these at White Out Press.

Lincoln-Kennedy Similarities and Coincidences
- Lincoln's name has 7 letters
- Kennedy's name has 7 letters

- In Lincoln's & Kennedy's names the vowels & consonants fall in exactly the same place; in the order c, v, c, c, v, c, c

- Lincoln was elected to Congress in 1846
- Kennedy was elected to Congress in 1946

- Lincoln was elected president in 1860
- Kennedy was elected president in 1960

- Kennedy had a secretary named Lincoln

- War was thrust upon Lincoln almost immediately after inauguration
- War was thrust upon Kennedy almost immediately after inauguration

- Lincoln ordered the Treasury to print its own money
- Kennedy ordered the Treasury to print its own money

- International bankers may have arranged the assassinations of both Lincoln and Kennedy

- Lincoln gave black Americans freedom and legalized equality
- Kennedy enforced equality for black Americans

- Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address on November 19, 1863
- Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963

- Lincoln was succeeded, after assassination, by vice-president Johnson
- Kennedy was succeeded, after assassination, by vice-president Johnson

- Andrew Johnson was born in 1808
- Lyndon Johnson was born in 1908

- Andrew Johnson's name has 13 letters
- Lyndon Johnson's name has 13 letters

- Andrew Johnson had a pug nose and slicked-back hair
- Lyndon Johnson had a pug nose and slicked-back hair

- Lincoln was sitting beside his wife when he was shot
- Kennedy was sitting beside his wife when he was shot

- Rathbone, who was with Lincoln when he was shot, was injured (by being stabbed)
- Connally, who was with Kennedy when he was shot, was injured (by being shot)

- Rathbone's name has 8 letters
- Connally's name has 8 letters

- Lincoln's wife held his head in her lap after he was shot
- Kennedy's wife held his head in her lap after he was shot

- Lincoln was shot on a Friday
- Kennedy was shot on a Friday

- Lincoln was shot in a theater named Ford
- Kennedy was shot in a car named Ford
- Kennedy was shot in a car also named Lincoln

- Lincoln's bodyguard was away from his post at the door of the President's box at the theater
- Kennedy's bodyguards were away from their posts on the running-boards of the President's car

- Lincoln was shot in a theater and his assassin ran to a warehouse
- JFK was shot from a warehouse and his assassin ran to a theater

- Lincoln's assassin had a three-word name, John Wilkes Booth
- Kennedy's assassin had a three-word name, Lee Harvey Oswald

- John Wilkes Booth has 15 letters
- Lee Harvey Oswald has 15 letters

- John Wilkes Boothe was born in 1839 (s/b 1838)
- Lee Harvey Oswald was born in 1939

- Lincoln didn't die immediately after being shot
- Kennedy didn't die immediately after being shot

- Lincoln and Kennedy died in places beginning with the initials P and H
- Lincoln died in Petersen's house
- Kennedy died in Parkland Hospital

- Booth was shot and killed in police custody before going to trial
- Oswald was shot and killed in police custody before going to trial

- Kennedy's funeral was modeled on Lincoln's funeral

- Andrew Johnson was a heavy drinker with crude behavior
- Lyndon Johnson was a heavy drinker with crude behavior

- There were conspiracy theories that Johnson was knowledgeable about Lincoln's assassination
- There were conspiracy theories that Johnson was knowledgeable about Kennedy's assassination

- Days before it happened Lincoln told his wife and friends about a dream he'd had of being shot by an assassin
- Hours before it happened Kennedy told his wife and friends it would be easy for an assassin to shoot him from a crowd

- Shortly after Lincoln was shot the telegraph system went down
- Shortly after Kennedy was shot the telephone system went down

- Kennedy's father had been the Ambassador to England at the Court of St James
- Lincoln's son became the Ambassador to England at the Court of St James

Odd how these things work. Only involvement of a supernatural power could bring together such a mass of coincidences between two events separated by 98 years. It's just weird.

It's Not What You Do; It's Who You Know

Have you ever heard that expression? How many times have you gotten the job or the opportunity to do whatever because of who you knew?

That is many times the way it is. It helps even more if the person you know has influence in what ever it is you are trying to do.

Jesus told a story recorded in Luke 15 about a father with two sons. The youngest one decided he would take his inheritance early and left home. Lacking the wisdom and probably the desire to restrain himself, he burnt through his inheritance quickly and found himself in poverty in a foreign country. He had to take jobs that were beneath someone of his social class to support himself and it was not a good situation. He was eating at the animal trough with the pigs he was taking care of.

Experience is a great teacher. It will make you think and the situation this young man was in made him remember his home and how even his father's servants lived better than he was currently living.

With this in mind, he decided he would go home. He knew what he would say to his father.

¹⁸ I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. ¹⁹ I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ ²⁰ So he got up and went to his father.

What happens next is the crux of the story for me.

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him."

You see, even before the son could make his apologies and put forward his repentance, he was embraced by his father and welcomed home.

The father knew the son. The son knew his father. And because of this, a second chance was forth coming.

You probably know the rest of the story, but if you don't, go to Luke 15:11-31 and read it.

The Lord knows all His children; the ones at home and the ones far away from Him. If you are ready to come home, He is waiting to welcome you. If you get to know Him, you will find Him to be gentle and meek. 

I can tell you as one of His servants, that you will be treated well. He will always be there to hear you and He is a great listener. He also forgives when forgiveness is required. You will never be alone again. He is always with you.

Consider getting to know Him. He is waiting.  

Why Doesn't The Government Do Something....

Those who count themselves on the right of the political spectrum tend to deplore that statement. They see it as a cry for socialism or Marxism or communism. The problem is that the right wing has things they think government should be doing too. It's really a bit hypocritical to point fingers with regard to these matters when both sides have their own political axes to grind.

There is however a group of right wingers that really chap my backside. They are the politically involved evangelical Christians. Now there is nothing wrong with political involvement, especially when there is something that is realistic and achievable to be done and it involves eliminating the role of government in our lives. But what I really can't abide is the lap dog mentality of evangelicals that will put all their eggs in the Republican basket and expect something to happen.

I'm not sure who said it, but there is an expression that we use at work from time to time. It says, "the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result."

Brothers and Sisters in Christ, please stop the insanity. Use the brain the Lord gave you. Consider a different approach. The Republicans have proven that they are not going to help you make this a moral and upright nation. How long have you been with them and how long have they promised you they will do something about your most important issues and how many times have they failed even when they have a majority in government? I think it's about 100%. Isn't it time to stop being tricked by these lottery ticket salesmen? They are not going to fix the abortion issue or the gay marriage issue or the prayer in schools issue or your favorite tax issue. They do not care about anything other than personal empowerment and they are like their colleagues on the other side of the aisle.

Your answer is not in politics. Your answer is in the Power of Christ and the gospel.

The culture war is over and we lost. The church in America is one generation away from death and it is at least partially because we placed our confidence in these snake oil salesmen rather than Christ.

The time has come to cut our losses. We have to lower the drawbridge at church. We have to tear down the walls and let the sinners in so they can be saved. If we cooperate with God, the gospel will have it's effect. God will take the harvest and those he has chosen will live the new and better life. We have to go out among them and use the tools we have to bring them in. Political involvement is not the route to do that. It foments hate toward the church and her husband Jesus Christ. People need to know what they are facing personally before they will change. We have that message. It might even be possible to remake the culture one person at a time.

Beyond that, there is no place in scripture where the Lord promises us a Christian culture. It just ain't gonna happen. Some believe we had a Christian culture in the US once. I would say, perhaps nominally so, but I have plenty of arguments proving otherwise. It does not matter. That was then. This is now.

Use the tools. Bring them in. Let God sort them out.

Ephesians 3:16-21

¹⁶ I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸ may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, ¹⁹ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. ²⁰ Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Sticks and Stones

We've all heard, "sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me".

I have always considered that statement to be patently false.

I have been hurt by them many times, but I am also a bit of an artist at using words as a weapon. If you mess with me, you better come prepared.

Then there is something called the Truth. Words of Truth can be explosive and painful when heard by certain parties and a comfort to others. It depends on who you are.

Words are powerful things. Entire books are made from them. What's the other cliche? "The pen is mightier than the sword."

Perhaps it's in the writing of the words. Maybe that's what makes them dangerous, powerful, constructive or destructive. What I do know is this. Words have hurt me. Words have made me think. Words have helped me and words have saved me.

The Bible is the written Word of God. It is powerful in and of itself. Jesus Christ is the Living Word from God. He is the medium through which God reaches out to His creations to save them.

If you you pay any heed to words at all, it's Jesus that you need to be listening to. His Word will only help you, even though it may make you uncomfortable initially. Let me suggest that you read the gospel of John. It will not take long, and it is written by an eyewitness to Jesus' life on earth. You can start here:

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was with God in the beginning. ³ Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. ⁴ In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome^[a] it.

⁶ There was a man sent from God whose name was John. ⁷ He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. ⁸ He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.
⁹ The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. ¹⁰ He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. ¹¹ He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. ¹² Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— ¹³ children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
¹⁴ The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Doesn't it just reach out and grab you? Wouldn't you like to be a child of the Living God? Read John. He can help show you how that's possible. If you have questions, Ghog is right here to help.
 

Later 

You Give Them Something To Eat...Really? Me?

The apostles had just come back from a preaching tour. They reported their work and accomplishments to their rabbi, Jesus. For His part, Jesus knew they were tired and a bit hungry. Here is how the event is recorded in Mark 6:30-44

³⁰ The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. ³¹ Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”
³² So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. ³³ But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. ³⁴ When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.
³⁵ By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. “This is a remote place,” they said, “and it’s already very late. ³⁶ Send the people away so that they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.”
³⁷ But he answered, “You give them something to eat.”
They said to him, “That would take more than half a year’s wages^[e]! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?”
³⁸ “How many loaves do you have?” he asked. “Go and see.”
When they found out, they said, “Five—and two fish.”
³⁹ Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. ⁴⁰ So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. ⁴¹ 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 his disciples to distribute to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. ⁴² They all ate and were satisfied, ⁴³ and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. ⁴⁴ The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand.

When you carry an important message and you are able to reinforce it with works, people will seek you out to hear what you have to say and see those words put into action. And so it was with Jesus and His disciples. Even though they were tired and hungry after a period of such work and even though they tried to retire to a remote place for a recharge of their batteries with the One who had sent them, they could not escape the needs of the people that were clinging to the information they had to share.

They could not get away. They could not escape. Five thousand men, and who knows how many women and children, tracked them down because they wanted a little bit of what Jesus and disciples had to share.

As an introvert, I cannot imagine this. I have to be able to escape, to recharge, to prepare for whatever the next event in my life will be, but this was not to be for Jesus and the 12. As tired as they were, Mark tells us that Jesus had compassion on this mass of humanity. He preached, He taught, he used this time He intended for rest to helped others find their rest.

Mark says that by the time Jesus had finished His remarks, it was late in the day. His disciples wanted to dismiss the crowds so they could go somewhere and get something to eat. The problem was that they were out in the middle of no where with these people and there was no McDonald's of KFC to hit before you went home.

Jesus had the solution. Instead of sending them to find their own food, Jesus said to His disciples, "You give them something to eat".

Really. Sounds simple when you just say it doesn't it. You feed them.

Immediately, the apostles begin to find reasons why this would be impossible, not the least of which was the cost - more than six months wages. This was a lot of people and resources were limited - severely limited.

So what did they do? Did they tell Jesus no?

Of course not. Instead, they began to see what they had; what was available. It was a meager amount of food. It was enough for enough for three or four people. Five loaves of bread and two fishes. How would they feed 5000+ people with that?

 

But they went forward anyway with what they had. They organized the crowds into small groups. And they gave Jesus the resources available and what did He do? He turned it into a mountain of food. Everyone ate. Everyone was satisfied...and there were leftovers.

So what's the point?

Nothing is impossible with God. If you are seeking to genuinely love God and love your neighbor, he can take your meager resources, whatever they may be, and help you use them to the best of your abilities. He wants His people fed.

You give them something to eat.

Talking Animals From The BBC..Enjoy My Cameos

I Just Love a Talking Dog

Who Is My Neighbor?

We talked a bit about the greatest commandments back on January 28th. We also talked a bit about the scope of these commandments. If you love God and you love your neighbor, you are required to act. You have responsibilities. Failure to meet these responsibilities would represent a violation of these commandments. In today's scripture we will see someone following these commands. The interesting thing here is that the one in obedience is not one that the people of the time would have expected.

Luke 10:25-37

²⁵ On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
²⁶ “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”
²⁷ He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’^[a]; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’^[b]”
²⁸ “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
²⁹ But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
³⁰ In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. ³¹ A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. ³² So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. ³³ But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. ³⁴ He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. ³⁵ The next day he took out two denarii^[c] and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’
³⁶ “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
³⁷ The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

It's interesting that the "expert in the law" knew what the greatest commandments were. Perhaps he had heard Jesus speak about this before. Whatever the case, this expert immediately baits a trap for Jesus by asking the question, "Who is my neighbor?". I call it a trap because the expert knew that there were all kinds of reasons why you might not consider someone your neighbor according to the prevailing interpretations of the law at that time.

Never the less, Jesus proceeds to answer the question. He uses a story about a man going from Jerusalem to Jericho that gets mugged on his way home and is left for dead by his attackers.

The road on which the crime was perpetrated turns out to be quite busy. As the "half dead" man lays there in his misery and wounds, no less than two people pass by. One is a priest and the other a Levite. It's interesting that both of these men are supposed to be the shepherds of Israel; leaders in the faith, knowledgeable of every aspect of the law . They were to serve in the temple in various capacities at given times and that may well be where they were headed when the saw the severely wounded man by the road. 

Did they offer assistance? Did they stop to help? No, they passed by the victim on the other side of the road and continued on to their destination.

Why would they do this? Why would they not help? These men knew the law. Had they determined that this man was not their neighbor according to the law? Perhaps a foreigner or a sinner? Or was it something else? Maybe they were concerned about remaining ceremonially clean. If they were going to Jerusalem to serve in the temple, they would have been forbidden to come into contact with human blood or dead bodies. This would have disqualified them from temple service. Then again, maybe they just did not want to get involved or maybe they did not want to be late. Whatever the reason for their lack of concern, it was not a good excuse.

As Jesus explains, a third traveler, a Samaritan, comes along and shows immediate concern for the injured man. He treats and bandages the man's wounds and then delivers him to a local inn so he can receive care. The Samaritan man even pays the innkeeper for the man's stay and says he will be back in a couple of days to check on him and bring more money if needed.

A Samaritan did this. The significance of this is astounding. Samaritans were held in very low regard by the Jews of the time. They were considered heretics to the law and rejected by God. They would not have been considered anybody's neighbor by a Jew in those days. Even so, it was a Samaritan that instinctively did what God's law commanded. It was notably not the priest or the levite - the spiritual leadership of God's people. Strange indeed.

So what would you do? Who is your neighbor? Would you help? Suppose it was someone that looked different from people you normally associate with? Would long hair, body piercings and tattoos stop you? Would their inability to speak English and the color of their skin stop you? Would a gay pride bumper sticker stop you? Would fear stop you?

There's always a reason not to help isn't there? But God's greatest commandments are not festooned with contractual footnotes offering reasons why we do not have to obey in a particular instance. They are plain and clear.

If you love God and you love your neighbor, you will act.

Jesus asked the expert in the law which of the three was a neighbor to the injured man. The expert replied that it was the man who had mercy (he would not even utter the word "Samaritan").

What did Jesus say?

"Go and do likewise"