There is an article in Relevant magazine by Mike Mc Hargue about keeping humility in the proper perspective and how that can effect our ability to do what Jesus commanded - to love your neighbor as yourself. It seems that he has recognized a pattern in many Christian people toward self hatred that he believes effects our abilities to love others. This makes perfect sense, but at the same time, the self loathing aspect of their character is many times what drives them (us, meaning me) to achieve things we could not otherwise achieve.
He talks about talented Christian people that he knows that find the work they do with their talents unsatisfactory or even poor. At the place where I work, we call that "constructive dissatisfaction". It's actually a "best practice" designed to create processes of continual improvement over time and it works. We will take a look at what works and try to make it work better.
Many creative people use this process to push themselves. It can create an unhealthy mental state if you are not able to improve on what you did previously, but then if that's the case, it can also help you sort out what you are good at and what you have no business being involved in.
A few years ago I tried my hand at writing poetry and prose. I enjoyed the creation process, but my product always ended up sounding like something from Dr. Seuss....not that there's anything wrong with that. I do have some proverbs that I wrote and may one day share with y'all, but I think my poetry days have pretty much ended. I am not very good at it. That kind of writing did serve a purpose in my life though. It was a method I used to quantify what I knew about the world, the Bible and myself. And that last bit was quite therapeutic. It helped me to vent a lot of spiritual and mental pain. And while I am aware that there may be some argument about this, I think I am mentally and spiritually healthier now, having gone through that process even if it meant I gave up the poetry.
You see, it was the pain and anguish that drove the poetry. Today, much of that is gone or I have at least become mature enough to deal with it in the proper perspective. Getting old is wonderful for that very reason.
To my mind, the thing that really drives one's ability to love oneself and be able to love others is this. Friendship. Attaining quality friendships and learning healthy ways of interacting with other people that do not lead to acrimony, envy or self loathing. Friends build each other up. Friends do not use each other. Friends respect and love each other and their differences and they help one another to see their strengths and weaknesses in light of God's plan for their lives.
I have had many people in my life that I have called friends that were merely acquaintances. These were fairly shallow relationships, but they were good for the time and good times were had.
There have been about 5 people in my lifetime that I would call genuine friends. Trust and love developed in the friendships and this is a rare and precious thing. These people have helped me with my personal issues simply because they were willing to sacrifice a bit of themselves to get to know me. I hope they gained something from knowing me too, besides a headache. Of the 5, one is dead. Another is no longer a close friend even though she knows most everything about me. It's kind of like we had a respectful divorce, but that's an issue for another post. There is another that comments on this blog from time to time that I have known most of my life. The other two are professional God-botherers (as opposed to my amateur standing - I'm not in the union).
Of the last two, one has become an "old friend" even though he is not old and the other is a new friend that I hope to become closer to as our friendship develops. These two are completely different in their personalities but I love them both. If I had children, I would want sons like these two.
The thing that all 5 of these people have in common is that they have pushed me or push me from time to time - to think, to do or to change. This is what I think everyone needs from their friends to get a proper perspective on themselves and what they can do. This process has also helped me to learn to love. I'm still not real good at this, but it's getting better I think.
It's true that loving yourself is a key aspect to learning to love others, but I think that only happens by actually doing both in relationship - in friendship.
Let me just say one more thing to my friend Eric. Buddy, you probably do not even realize this, but our friendship did more to get me above water and breathing again than just about anything in my life to date. I can't thank you enough. I miss you. The amazing part is that you really didn't do anything except be my friend (and drop my rod in the pond). Thanks Man!
Friends are the ticket. Find yourself some.
Wednesday, July 22, 2015
Tuesday, July 21, 2015
I Dreamed A Dream
It was intense, visual, in color and I thought it was really happening. I had a dream last night that I remember mostly because I finally woke up. Some might characterize it as a bad dream, but I do not. It was filled with bits and pieces of my life and there were people in it I recognized and conversed with. It seemed odd that some of them were there, but they were there nevertheless. A vigorous dream is a very good sign of some intense REM sleep. For the uninitiated, REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep is the deepest sort of sleep of all the sleep stages and the best for your mental and physical help. I am told that REM sleep is hard for people of my age to come by, so I am encouraged by the genuine rest I received last night.
Sleep experts have said that dreaming is a way that your brain and particularly your subconscious, reboots itself. I suppose a better description would be that your brain runs a anti virus program and releases all the bad files to a containment area for deletion. Whatever the case, I was sleeping well last night. I hit the bed. I read a bit on the Kindle, Oliver was tightly coiled by my side. And I went into a very sound and deep sleep.
As I said, the dream was not bad, but it was, shall we say, disturbing.
I came home from work. It was early. There was still sunlight in the west. There were construction crews in the yard. They were taking out the front window and tearing up the ceiling in the lower level. Dad was home. He appeared to be 20 years younger - my age. He had on a tool belt and I asked him what the heck was going on. He informed me that he was having some long overdue repairs done to the house. I told him that we had only recently (5 years ago) had the front window replaced. He did not believe me. He never believes me. I do not know what I'm talking about. Such is and always has been his attitude.
As I moved around the house, I saw the workmen (who were all Hispanic) ripping out various things or pushing them over. The 3 seasons porch downstairs was being pushed over when I arrived. I went back upstairs and found a Hispanic woman that seemed to be the construction supervisor and began to argue with her to no avail. Everything was totally out of control.
By this time, Dad had sat down and was watching as his house was being destructed. At the same time a man from work appeared in the living room. He was in drag and putting on make up. I asked him what he was doing there and he said he wanted me to know what he did when he was off. I did not need to know.
At just about that time, I noticed thickening pendulous clouds to the south through the gaping hole that was once the front window. Lightning was flashing and there was the low rumble of what I thought was thunder. I went to the construction supervisor and told her that we would need to put up some tarps to keep the rain and hail out of the house. She agreed and her crew began to scurry in search of coverings for the now open air house.
As I watched the sky, the clouds moved closer and became thicker and lower to the ground. There was a strange red glow in the cloud's center. Like it was giving birth, a Boeing 727 passenger plane began to exit the storm. First the nose and then the wings and then the tail section emerged from the cloud. It was on fire and getting closer and closer to the house. I watched in stunned silence as it descended in altitude and almost made contact with the roof as it passed. It crashed to the north of a band of trees beyond the house. The explosion was tremendous. A fireball went up, and then the ear numbing noise blasted through the house.
Again I heard the sound of jet engines. I turned to the south again. This time, emerging from the clouds was a huge, black military aircraft seemingly on the same course as the 727. The cockpit section of the aircraft glowed like fire. There was smoke coming from all four engines and as it passed, it too crashed beyond the trees to the north. The ensuing explosion was 5 times what the 727 was. A mushroom cloud rose above the trees and then the shock wave moved past. The intensity of the light was blinding and the sound was deafening. Debris from the explosion was flying through the air. A small piece hit me in the chest and it burned with heat, but I was uninjured.
Immediately after, we all ran to the north to view the wreckage...except Dad. He remained in his chair staring toward the south unphased by these events.
As the rest of us walked toward the north to the red glow of the aftermath, we discovered another house being built. There were people from church there working hard to get it finished. There was one there who I have not seen for ages that now goes to another church. We were in awe that they continued to work while the wreckage to the north continued to burn. We were told that finishing the house was more important than what was going on to the north. All they would say was, this is what happens.
About this time I awoke, breathing very hard, but feeling very rested. Now you know why I don't go to movies anymore. I don't need them. (;^)))
Sleep experts have said that dreaming is a way that your brain and particularly your subconscious, reboots itself. I suppose a better description would be that your brain runs a anti virus program and releases all the bad files to a containment area for deletion. Whatever the case, I was sleeping well last night. I hit the bed. I read a bit on the Kindle, Oliver was tightly coiled by my side. And I went into a very sound and deep sleep.
As I said, the dream was not bad, but it was, shall we say, disturbing.
I came home from work. It was early. There was still sunlight in the west. There were construction crews in the yard. They were taking out the front window and tearing up the ceiling in the lower level. Dad was home. He appeared to be 20 years younger - my age. He had on a tool belt and I asked him what the heck was going on. He informed me that he was having some long overdue repairs done to the house. I told him that we had only recently (5 years ago) had the front window replaced. He did not believe me. He never believes me. I do not know what I'm talking about. Such is and always has been his attitude.
As I moved around the house, I saw the workmen (who were all Hispanic) ripping out various things or pushing them over. The 3 seasons porch downstairs was being pushed over when I arrived. I went back upstairs and found a Hispanic woman that seemed to be the construction supervisor and began to argue with her to no avail. Everything was totally out of control.
By this time, Dad had sat down and was watching as his house was being destructed. At the same time a man from work appeared in the living room. He was in drag and putting on make up. I asked him what he was doing there and he said he wanted me to know what he did when he was off. I did not need to know.
At just about that time, I noticed thickening pendulous clouds to the south through the gaping hole that was once the front window. Lightning was flashing and there was the low rumble of what I thought was thunder. I went to the construction supervisor and told her that we would need to put up some tarps to keep the rain and hail out of the house. She agreed and her crew began to scurry in search of coverings for the now open air house.
As I watched the sky, the clouds moved closer and became thicker and lower to the ground. There was a strange red glow in the cloud's center. Like it was giving birth, a Boeing 727 passenger plane began to exit the storm. First the nose and then the wings and then the tail section emerged from the cloud. It was on fire and getting closer and closer to the house. I watched in stunned silence as it descended in altitude and almost made contact with the roof as it passed. It crashed to the north of a band of trees beyond the house. The explosion was tremendous. A fireball went up, and then the ear numbing noise blasted through the house.
Again I heard the sound of jet engines. I turned to the south again. This time, emerging from the clouds was a huge, black military aircraft seemingly on the same course as the 727. The cockpit section of the aircraft glowed like fire. There was smoke coming from all four engines and as it passed, it too crashed beyond the trees to the north. The ensuing explosion was 5 times what the 727 was. A mushroom cloud rose above the trees and then the shock wave moved past. The intensity of the light was blinding and the sound was deafening. Debris from the explosion was flying through the air. A small piece hit me in the chest and it burned with heat, but I was uninjured.
Immediately after, we all ran to the north to view the wreckage...except Dad. He remained in his chair staring toward the south unphased by these events.
As the rest of us walked toward the north to the red glow of the aftermath, we discovered another house being built. There were people from church there working hard to get it finished. There was one there who I have not seen for ages that now goes to another church. We were in awe that they continued to work while the wreckage to the north continued to burn. We were told that finishing the house was more important than what was going on to the north. All they would say was, this is what happens.
About this time I awoke, breathing very hard, but feeling very rested. Now you know why I don't go to movies anymore. I don't need them. (;^)))
Monday, July 20, 2015
Make That Twice
Looks like there was another hack attempt from this IP - 41.58.56.48 - . It's even weirder.
The IP address is located here.
IP Address Location
Country: Nigeria (NG)
City: Lagos
Latitude: 6.45306
Longitude: 3.39583
Odd don't you think? Glad Google was on top of it though. I mostly believe that Google is the antichrist, but they did a fine job today.
I will probably find out tomorrow that it was not Google at all and by changing my email password, I gave everyone in the world access to my electronic guts.
Gee...I hope they don't blackmail me. I don't have any money. Come to think of it, all my blackmail-able behavior occurred before 1979 anyway. We didn't have computers then. I did have a pocket calculator though. Even so, they won't get much.
I Think I've Been Hacked
I received an email from Google concerning suspicious activity on my email account. They provided me with the IP of the source and suggested a password change. I did that, so if you do not get an expected email from me, please put it down to me not remembering my new password. I looked up the IP they sent and I got the following info. It's interesting in a geek sort of way, but I still do not know much about the source. Anyway...be careful out there. Feces happen.
IPv6 address:
|
|
IPv6 expanded:
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2600:3c01:0000:0000:f03c:91ff:fe84:b1ba
|
IPv6 decimal:
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50511880863631184802145314315652346298
|
WHOIS data:
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whois data is currently unavailable [GL85-85]. Try again in 20 hours, 34 min. |
Internet service provider:
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Hurricane Electric |
Organization:
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Hurricane Electric |
Country name:
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 United States |
Country ISO alpha-2 code:
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US |
State:
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New Jersey |
City:
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Absecon |
DMA code:
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504 |
Timezone:
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America/New_York |
Longitude:
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-74.4957 |
Latitude:
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39.4284 |
Reverse DNS in-addr.arpa:
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Host a.b.1.b.4.8.e.f.f.f.1.9.c.3.0.f.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.1.0.c.3.0.0.6.2.ip6.arpa not found: 3(NXDOMAIN) |
Reverse DNS last updated:
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1437449118 - 0 seconds ago |
Reverse DNS next update:
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1438053918 - in 7 days |
Operating System
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 Windows 7 |
Browser
|
 Chrome 35.0.1916.153 |
Device Type
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Desktop |
User Agent String
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Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.1) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/35.0.1916.153 Safari/537.36 SE 2.X MetaSr 1.0 |
Bot/spider
|
No |
Record views
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14 |
This IP pageloads:
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1 |
Bacon
While I am not a bacon snob and definitely not a bacon epicure, I do like me some bacon. I had some delightful bacon yesterday from a Minnesota meat shop called the Knaus Sausage House.
It was a thick cut pepper bacon that, frankly, did not look like much in the package. After it was prepared though, I found it better than most bacon I have eaten. The strips were short and thick. I thought they would cook away to nothing, but it turns out that the meat fat distribution was almost perfect. There was little shrinkage and lots of tender flavor.
I prepared it in the oven. I line a cookie sheet with heavy duty aluminum foil and place a baking rack in it. Next I lay out the bacon in row after row on the rack. I then place the cookie sheet in a preheated 400 degree oven that is set on "convect". I would give you a time to cook, but this can be misleading. Every bacon is different. Rather, turn on the oven light and watch it. Midway you might want to spin the cookie sheet around if it appears that the bacon is getting done too much at one end of the pan. Once the bacon is done to your taste, pull out the pan and set it on some trivets. You will notice that most of the grease is off the bacon and on the foil in the bottom of the cookie sheet. From a health point of view this is good. It also makes cleanup easy because if you carefully remove the foil, capturing all the grease, you will find what is left is a clean cookie sheet. But I digress...
This pepper bacon from Knaus Sausage House in Kimball Minnesota was amazing. It was thick cut. It was tender. It was not too smoky or salty and it was very flavorful, almost hamlike. I have had many of the major brands of bacon from Oscar Meyer to Hy Vee. They are now just ok to me. I think I have a new standard. Trouble is, if I want more, I have to drive to Kimball to get it. I am closer than many of you, but the drive would take all day.
I was hoping it could be mail ordered, but it looks like Knaus only mail orders their preserved products...so I will have to wait until Steve goes back to Minnesota and slip him a fifty.
Thanks for the bacon Steve. There is nothing like a plateful of scorched dead animal shavings. Just so you know, I did not just eat the bacon. I also made a 4 egg mushroom omelet topped with provolone cheese and some sliced new potatoes fried in a mixture of olive oil and butter with sea salt, freshly ground pepper and a bit of ground rosemary.
You will need a nap for digestion purposes if you do this.
31 S Main St, Kimball, MN 55353
It was a thick cut pepper bacon that, frankly, did not look like much in the package. After it was prepared though, I found it better than most bacon I have eaten. The strips were short and thick. I thought they would cook away to nothing, but it turns out that the meat fat distribution was almost perfect. There was little shrinkage and lots of tender flavor.
I prepared it in the oven. I line a cookie sheet with heavy duty aluminum foil and place a baking rack in it. Next I lay out the bacon in row after row on the rack. I then place the cookie sheet in a preheated 400 degree oven that is set on "convect". I would give you a time to cook, but this can be misleading. Every bacon is different. Rather, turn on the oven light and watch it. Midway you might want to spin the cookie sheet around if it appears that the bacon is getting done too much at one end of the pan. Once the bacon is done to your taste, pull out the pan and set it on some trivets. You will notice that most of the grease is off the bacon and on the foil in the bottom of the cookie sheet. From a health point of view this is good. It also makes cleanup easy because if you carefully remove the foil, capturing all the grease, you will find what is left is a clean cookie sheet. But I digress...
This pepper bacon from Knaus Sausage House in Kimball Minnesota was amazing. It was thick cut. It was tender. It was not too smoky or salty and it was very flavorful, almost hamlike. I have had many of the major brands of bacon from Oscar Meyer to Hy Vee. They are now just ok to me. I think I have a new standard. Trouble is, if I want more, I have to drive to Kimball to get it. I am closer than many of you, but the drive would take all day.
I was hoping it could be mail ordered, but it looks like Knaus only mail orders their preserved products...so I will have to wait until Steve goes back to Minnesota and slip him a fifty.
Thanks for the bacon Steve. There is nothing like a plateful of scorched dead animal shavings. Just so you know, I did not just eat the bacon. I also made a 4 egg mushroom omelet topped with provolone cheese and some sliced new potatoes fried in a mixture of olive oil and butter with sea salt, freshly ground pepper and a bit of ground rosemary.
You will need a nap for digestion purposes if you do this.
31 S Main St, Kimball, MN 55353
Saturday, July 18, 2015
How to Pray - Matthew 6:5-15
Jesus continues in His Sermon on the Mount with another act of righteousness - Prayer. In Matthew 6:5-15, Jesus tells us the manner in which we should pray, where we should pray and He even offers us an example of how we should pray. The model is beautiful in its simplicity. It does not try to drown God in words. It does not try to manipulate Him or ingratiate Him to the pray-er.
9 “This, then, is how you should pray:
14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
Questions
Jesus says not to pray like the hypocrites that make a show of it. Aside from what Jesus offers here, in what ways does prayer become a show; A work to be done so that everyone will know you are righteous?
-We've all heard windy, flowery prayers offered in King James English. Then there are the prayers that are not so much prayers to God as they are sermons to others that may be listening. Both kinds of prayers can go on and on. It's like the pray-er needs to inform God of things He did not know or advise others present of the pray-er's close relationship with God. These kinds of prayers are probably not what Jesus had in mind when He was teaching.
Jesus also indicates that private prayer is the best policy. So, why do we even offer public, corporate prayer in gatherings of the Church?
-This is a rhetorical question. You figure it out. I know what I think. I'm not sure there is a place for corporate prayer inside the meetings of the church or outside. Prayer is personal. Where in the Bible do you see an example of corporate prayer? Seriously. It just is not there - especially in the New Testament.
The model prayer that Jesus offers is interesting. It honors God. It asks that His will be done. It asks that our daily need for food be met and it acknowledges God as the giver. It asks for forgiveness. And it asks for protection from temptation and its source - the evil one. It is at once, simple straightforward and brief. Why do we not pray in this fashion? Why do we take this simple outline of a prayer and hang every last little request on it's parts?
-As Jesus said, God already knows what we need. We need to keep it simple. Keeping the line open is one thing. Jabbering on and on about the least little things that God already knows about is quite another. The Lord does not need it. We must not confuse our needs with the reasons for prayer. If we want to talk to Him about the issues of our day, perhaps that helps us more than Him? Maybe God does not mind that. Maybe He can work through that to help us. Maybe he would just like us to use the brains He gave us? Who is to say? I know we do not see prayer like ours today recorded in scripture. Do you really think there was a prayer list in the early churches? I wonder.
Before Jesus gave them this example, do you think anyone ever taught the people of His time to pray?
- I am thinking not. At least not like this.
The line in the prayer about debt is interesting. Do you think it's about monetary debt or something else? If so, what?
Here's a clue - the answer lies in vss 14 and 15.
Prayer
5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.9 “This, then, is how you should pray:
Questions
Jesus says not to pray like the hypocrites that make a show of it. Aside from what Jesus offers here, in what ways does prayer become a show; A work to be done so that everyone will know you are righteous?
-We've all heard windy, flowery prayers offered in King James English. Then there are the prayers that are not so much prayers to God as they are sermons to others that may be listening. Both kinds of prayers can go on and on. It's like the pray-er needs to inform God of things He did not know or advise others present of the pray-er's close relationship with God. These kinds of prayers are probably not what Jesus had in mind when He was teaching.
Jesus also indicates that private prayer is the best policy. So, why do we even offer public, corporate prayer in gatherings of the Church?
-This is a rhetorical question. You figure it out. I know what I think. I'm not sure there is a place for corporate prayer inside the meetings of the church or outside. Prayer is personal. Where in the Bible do you see an example of corporate prayer? Seriously. It just is not there - especially in the New Testament.
The model prayer that Jesus offers is interesting. It honors God. It asks that His will be done. It asks that our daily need for food be met and it acknowledges God as the giver. It asks for forgiveness. And it asks for protection from temptation and its source - the evil one. It is at once, simple straightforward and brief. Why do we not pray in this fashion? Why do we take this simple outline of a prayer and hang every last little request on it's parts?
-As Jesus said, God already knows what we need. We need to keep it simple. Keeping the line open is one thing. Jabbering on and on about the least little things that God already knows about is quite another. The Lord does not need it. We must not confuse our needs with the reasons for prayer. If we want to talk to Him about the issues of our day, perhaps that helps us more than Him? Maybe God does not mind that. Maybe He can work through that to help us. Maybe he would just like us to use the brains He gave us? Who is to say? I know we do not see prayer like ours today recorded in scripture. Do you really think there was a prayer list in the early churches? I wonder.
Before Jesus gave them this example, do you think anyone ever taught the people of His time to pray?
- I am thinking not. At least not like this.
The line in the prayer about debt is interesting. Do you think it's about monetary debt or something else? If so, what?
Here's a clue - the answer lies in vss 14 and 15.
Matthew 6:1-4
Jesus continues preaching on the mountainside in Matthew 6. In this chapter He addresses sermon to several acts of righteousness and how they should be practiced. In verses 1-4 Jesus talks about giving to the needy.
Jesus assumes that his listeners will be giving to the needy, but He want them to know that the manner in which they give makes a difference, particularly to God. Giving should not be motivated by a desire for self aggrandizement or the approval of other. Instead, it needs to be done as an act directed toward God and in private. If we give because we love God, then the giving should be between the giver and God alone.
Back in the day, the Pharisee would walk into the temple with his money bag on his belt, fully loaded with change. He would slowly dump the contents in the poor box. The noise of the coins falling would echo throughout the house, drawing the attention of worshipers to the man's alleged generosity. Swelled with pride, the Pharisee would do his victory walk to the gate, having impressed the rank and file with his generosity.
Jesus says that people like this have already received their reward for giving. However, those that give in secret, without making a show, will receive God's approval and eternal rewards await these people.
Questions
So, what are some contemporary ways that people "blow trumpets" to call attention to their giving?
-Have you ever seen a memorial plaque on an object at church? That's one way. Others will designate their gifts. In the world, politicians and philanthropists just call a press conference.
What does "do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing" mean in vs 3?
-It means that giving behavior should be something that is automatic, perhaps done without thinking about anything other than the need. It should be a natural spiritual response produced in us by God, that we do not even notice.
What is the best way of ensuring secrecy in giving?
-Simple. Keep it quiet. Don't talk about it except to God.
6 “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
2 “So
when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the
hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by
others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.Jesus assumes that his listeners will be giving to the needy, but He want them to know that the manner in which they give makes a difference, particularly to God. Giving should not be motivated by a desire for self aggrandizement or the approval of other. Instead, it needs to be done as an act directed toward God and in private. If we give because we love God, then the giving should be between the giver and God alone.
Back in the day, the Pharisee would walk into the temple with his money bag on his belt, fully loaded with change. He would slowly dump the contents in the poor box. The noise of the coins falling would echo throughout the house, drawing the attention of worshipers to the man's alleged generosity. Swelled with pride, the Pharisee would do his victory walk to the gate, having impressed the rank and file with his generosity.
Jesus says that people like this have already received their reward for giving. However, those that give in secret, without making a show, will receive God's approval and eternal rewards await these people.
Questions
So, what are some contemporary ways that people "blow trumpets" to call attention to their giving?
-Have you ever seen a memorial plaque on an object at church? That's one way. Others will designate their gifts. In the world, politicians and philanthropists just call a press conference.
What does "do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing" mean in vs 3?
-It means that giving behavior should be something that is automatic, perhaps done without thinking about anything other than the need. It should be a natural spiritual response produced in us by God, that we do not even notice.
What is the best way of ensuring secrecy in giving?
-Simple. Keep it quiet. Don't talk about it except to God.
Attitude is Everything - Matthew 5:21-48
In the pursuit of righteousness, it's not just what you do that matters. What you do is always proceeded by thoughts and attitudes. Those thoughts are capable of producing actions. Some of those thoughts and actions could produce sin under the right circumstances.
You may never murder anyone or commit adultery or fornication...but did you think about it? Did you consider, if only briefly, that some people just need killin and this guy (whoever he might be) is pushin all the right buttons for that? What about that scantly clad young lady moving her way down the sidewalk ever so seductively? Did you ever think for a minute that it would be nice to spend the afternoon with her discussing her finer points? Maybe it was a car that caused the desire or the top was down and the woman inside had managed to sell the whole package to you all in a flash in your mind.
When we dwell on things, when we get angry or or we covet or we lust; this is when the process of sin and unrighteousness starts. Our attitude in a given situation can produce a harvest of sin. What does Jesus say?
23 “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.
25 “Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. 26 Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.
Anger is akin to murder. If someone is angry with us or we with them; the whole thing can escalate out of control. It might start with an off hand remark about their intelligence or maybe something stupid like a small financial debt. The result could be violence or a lawsuit or worse. Instead of letting things get out of hand, we need to find ways to make the peace, particularly if we are the ones in error. We have to do what we can to keep the peace with our neighbors and with God. The issue, whatever it may be, has to be settled with as little acrimony as possible. Vengeance and loss of control are not godly behaviors and they can lead to violence and murder.
Lust is a bad habit. It's a luxury we cannot afford to be burdened with. If we allow it to rule us, serious consequences will abound. Adultery is just one result. We can lust after all kinds of things that have nothing to do with sex. It's possible to lust over a plate of bacon or your neighbor's lawn mower. Lust, unbridled desire and covetousness can lead to all kinds of sins that bring very serious consequences. Broken families, sexual disease, obesity and thievery are a few; not to mention separation from God or at least a major dent in that relationship.
In the old days, men were kings and women were property. Under the Law, you could divorce your wife for burning the toast. And I am sure there were hard hearted men that did just that. The same is true today. There are men and women in marriage relationships that are abusers and philanderers and whatever else you might care to name. Forgiveness is needed. The desire to change negative behaviors must prevail. Love should rule over both husband and wife so that things to not get to this point. Selfishness must be put out of the house. The needs of your partner must always take precedence.
Jesus does not want divorce. He is opposed to it. He offers only one valid reason for it - infidelity. He goes so far as to say that anyone who divorces for any other reason forces their partner to commit adultery. This is because it is almost inevitable that the couple will marry other people...and in God's eyes, you are still and always married to you original wife or husband. God does not believe in divorce, hence, remarriage is adultery.
The bottom line here is....if you always tell the truth, then oaths will not be necessary. Simple eh?
Someone said if we all operated under the "eye for and eye" principle, we would all be blind and toothless. This is probably very close to the truth. I'm not sure I will be hanging around for the second slap though.
I think that the idea behind Jesus' advice here is to avoid conflict and show your tormentor that you are of better character than they are. In time they will find no satisfaction in their bad behavior and it will stop.
Really, love my enemies? This is hard. Praying for them is easier than loving them. Nonetheless we are commanded to do both. Why? Maybe because they too were created by God and despite their unrighteousness, God loves them too and wants them to draw close to Him. Showing love toward them might eventually enable that possibility.
Verse 48 caps off a list of things that are nearly impossible with one that is completely impossible. Jesus says to be perfect like our heavenly Father.
Some try to say Jesus meant that we should be perfect in love like God, but really, is that not just as impossible? And the text does not say that anyway.
And that may be the point. Jesus, in this sermon, is taking the high bar of the law and raising it even higher. He knows that we will not be able to keep the law under either His interpretation or even that of the Pharisees. What I think Jesus is really teaching us about in this sermon is the character of God, His Father.
It will not be the works of the law that saves us. It will be being born again in His Spirit; regenerated, reformed and able to change our attitude. Self control of outward acts is something most all of us can do. Changing our spiritual nature is something only God can do for us. We just have to surrender our wills. Sounds easy - takes a lifetime. That's my experience anyway. Maybe you are already perfect like our heavenly Father. If so, you can come over and walk across my swimming pool.
Wait...I don't have a pool. We will have to go to a pond. I will drive. OK?
You may never murder anyone or commit adultery or fornication...but did you think about it? Did you consider, if only briefly, that some people just need killin and this guy (whoever he might be) is pushin all the right buttons for that? What about that scantly clad young lady moving her way down the sidewalk ever so seductively? Did you ever think for a minute that it would be nice to spend the afternoon with her discussing her finer points? Maybe it was a car that caused the desire or the top was down and the woman inside had managed to sell the whole package to you all in a flash in your mind.
When we dwell on things, when we get angry or or we covet or we lust; this is when the process of sin and unrighteousness starts. Our attitude in a given situation can produce a harvest of sin. What does Jesus say?
Murder
21 “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder,[a] and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister[b][c] will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’[d] is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.23 “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.
25 “Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. 26 Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.
Anger is akin to murder. If someone is angry with us or we with them; the whole thing can escalate out of control. It might start with an off hand remark about their intelligence or maybe something stupid like a small financial debt. The result could be violence or a lawsuit or worse. Instead of letting things get out of hand, we need to find ways to make the peace, particularly if we are the ones in error. We have to do what we can to keep the peace with our neighbors and with God. The issue, whatever it may be, has to be settled with as little acrimony as possible. Vengeance and loss of control are not godly behaviors and they can lead to violence and murder.
Adultery
27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’[e] 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.Lust is a bad habit. It's a luxury we cannot afford to be burdened with. If we allow it to rule us, serious consequences will abound. Adultery is just one result. We can lust after all kinds of things that have nothing to do with sex. It's possible to lust over a plate of bacon or your neighbor's lawn mower. Lust, unbridled desire and covetousness can lead to all kinds of sins that bring very serious consequences. Broken families, sexual disease, obesity and thievery are a few; not to mention separation from God or at least a major dent in that relationship.
Divorce
31 “It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’[f] 32 But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.In the old days, men were kings and women were property. Under the Law, you could divorce your wife for burning the toast. And I am sure there were hard hearted men that did just that. The same is true today. There are men and women in marriage relationships that are abusers and philanderers and whatever else you might care to name. Forgiveness is needed. The desire to change negative behaviors must prevail. Love should rule over both husband and wife so that things to not get to this point. Selfishness must be put out of the house. The needs of your partner must always take precedence.
Jesus does not want divorce. He is opposed to it. He offers only one valid reason for it - infidelity. He goes so far as to say that anyone who divorces for any other reason forces their partner to commit adultery. This is because it is almost inevitable that the couple will marry other people...and in God's eyes, you are still and always married to you original wife or husband. God does not believe in divorce, hence, remarriage is adultery.
Oaths
33 “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ 34 But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37 All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.The bottom line here is....if you always tell the truth, then oaths will not be necessary. Simple eh?
Eye for Eye
38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’[h] 39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. 40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. 41 If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.Someone said if we all operated under the "eye for and eye" principle, we would all be blind and toothless. This is probably very close to the truth. I'm not sure I will be hanging around for the second slap though.
I think that the idea behind Jesus' advice here is to avoid conflict and show your tormentor that you are of better character than they are. In time they will find no satisfaction in their bad behavior and it will stop.
Love for Enemies
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor[i] and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.Really, love my enemies? This is hard. Praying for them is easier than loving them. Nonetheless we are commanded to do both. Why? Maybe because they too were created by God and despite their unrighteousness, God loves them too and wants them to draw close to Him. Showing love toward them might eventually enable that possibility.
Verse 48 caps off a list of things that are nearly impossible with one that is completely impossible. Jesus says to be perfect like our heavenly Father.
Some try to say Jesus meant that we should be perfect in love like God, but really, is that not just as impossible? And the text does not say that anyway.
And that may be the point. Jesus, in this sermon, is taking the high bar of the law and raising it even higher. He knows that we will not be able to keep the law under either His interpretation or even that of the Pharisees. What I think Jesus is really teaching us about in this sermon is the character of God, His Father.
It will not be the works of the law that saves us. It will be being born again in His Spirit; regenerated, reformed and able to change our attitude. Self control of outward acts is something most all of us can do. Changing our spiritual nature is something only God can do for us. We just have to surrender our wills. Sounds easy - takes a lifetime. That's my experience anyway. Maybe you are already perfect like our heavenly Father. If so, you can come over and walk across my swimming pool.
Wait...I don't have a pool. We will have to go to a pond. I will drive. OK?
Hard to Get
In the midst of our efforts to remain faithful and be obedient to our Savior sometimes we get distracted and frustrated because we do not understand why things are the way they are. We wonder why we are faced with certain life challenges. We do not see the purpose or even the cause of the things we suffer through. We actually feel a sense of divine injustice. Some will lose faith. Others will question their Creator.
I have been both places. More often than not though, I am a questioner. I don't know if that's appreciated in the heavenly realms, but God did let Job rattle on for 38 chapters. Oh to be as sound in my thinking as Job. Do you remember what God said to Job in chapter 38 after all his entreaties?
Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm. He said:
19 You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault? For who resists His will?” 20 On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, “Why did you make me like this,” will it?
I have been both places. More often than not though, I am a questioner. I don't know if that's appreciated in the heavenly realms, but God did let Job rattle on for 38 chapters. Oh to be as sound in my thinking as Job. Do you remember what God said to Job in chapter 38 after all his entreaties?
Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm. He said:
2 “Who is this that obscures my plans
with words without knowledge?
3 Brace yourself like a man;
I will question you,
and you shall answer me.
with words without knowledge?
3 Brace yourself like a man;
I will question you,
and you shall answer me.
4 “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?
Tell me, if you understand.
Tell me, if you understand.
God went on like that with question after question for two chapters. Job, of course, had no answers and you know what? He never got any from God either. As our modern philosophy so tritely puts it, "it is what it is". There are things that, even if explained, we would never understand. This does not stop the questions of course. Like two year old's, we want to know the "why", even if there is no way we will comprehend what is in the mind of God.
This is maybe why Paul says in Romans 9:
14 What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? May it never be! 15 For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” 16 So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.
and again...
19 You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault? For who resists His will?” 20 On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, “Why did you make me like this,” will it?
God's mercy is at once a glorious and terrible thing. It can be received like a cool drink of water on a hot day when we need it or as a gross miscarriage of justice when applied to someone else we have judged as undeserving. The fact is though, we all need His mercy and His grace. We should accept that gift and move forward regardless of who we are and we should not pass judgement on God when He gives it to people we have deemed unworthy. Who are we to do the "deeming" anyway?
So question away. God is bigger than you know and he can take it. What you need to consider is this....are you big enough to withstand his reply?
Again, to close, I will turn to another song by Rich Mullins. In his song, "Hard to Get", he gives an apt description of our sometimes attitude and a reminder of what His mercy cost.
You who live in Heaven
Hear the prayers of those of us who live on earth
Who are afraid of being left by those we love
And who get hardened by the hurt
Do you remember when You lived down here?
Where we all scrape to find the faith to ask for daily bread
Did You forget about us after You had flown away?
Well I memorized every word You said
Still I'm so scared, I'm holding my breath
While You're up there just playing hard to get
You who live in radiance
Hear the prayers of those of us who live in skin
We have a love that's not as patient as Yours was
Still we do love now and then
Did You ever know loneliness, did You ever know need?
Do You remember just how long a night can get?
When You were barely holding on and Your friends fall asleep
And don't see the blood that's running in Your sweat
Will those who mourn be left uncomforted
While You're up there just playing hard to get?
And I know You bore our sorrows
And I know You feel our pain
And I know it would not hurt any less
Even if it could be explained
And I know that I am only lashing out
At the One who loves me most
And after I figured this, somehow
All I really need to know
Is if You who live in eternity
Hear the prayers of those of us who live in time
We can't see what's ahead
And we can not get free of what we've left behind
I'm reeling from these voices that keep screaming in my ears
All the words of shame and doubt, blame and regret
I can't see how You're leading me unless You've led me here
Where I'm lost enough to let myself be led
And so You've been here all along I guess
It's just Your ways and You are just plain hard to get
Hear the prayers of those of us who live on earth
Who are afraid of being left by those we love
And who get hardened by the hurt
Do you remember when You lived down here?
Where we all scrape to find the faith to ask for daily bread
Did You forget about us after You had flown away?
Well I memorized every word You said
Still I'm so scared, I'm holding my breath
While You're up there just playing hard to get
You who live in radiance
Hear the prayers of those of us who live in skin
We have a love that's not as patient as Yours was
Still we do love now and then
Did You ever know loneliness, did You ever know need?
Do You remember just how long a night can get?
When You were barely holding on and Your friends fall asleep
And don't see the blood that's running in Your sweat
Will those who mourn be left uncomforted
While You're up there just playing hard to get?
And I know You bore our sorrows
And I know You feel our pain
And I know it would not hurt any less
Even if it could be explained
And I know that I am only lashing out
At the One who loves me most
And after I figured this, somehow
All I really need to know
Is if You who live in eternity
Hear the prayers of those of us who live in time
We can't see what's ahead
And we can not get free of what we've left behind
I'm reeling from these voices that keep screaming in my ears
All the words of shame and doubt, blame and regret
I can't see how You're leading me unless You've led me here
Where I'm lost enough to let myself be led
And so You've been here all along I guess
It's just Your ways and You are just plain hard to get
The last stanza says it all. The Lord does understand us. He knows we have questions. This is why we must be faithful and obedient. We will probably not understand while we are here. But someday, I think it will be clear. We will know. And it will have been worth the stress.
Keep walking Christian. He's just ahead of you. You might even be able to see Him smiling as He looks over His shoulder. He is taking you to a wonderful place. If you fall down, He will come back for you. You are not alone!
It's Hard
Dietrich Bonhoeffer once wrote, “For faith is only real when there is obedience, never without it, and faith only becomes faith in the act of obedience.”
This is the great truth of the Christian faith. God loves our obedience to His precepts. It's faith and obedience that produce trust in our relationship with God. This has been true since the days of our spiritual ancestor, Abraham, and it continues to be true today. We evangelicals and fundies tend to get all excited about His grace and love, but I think sometimes we use it to rationalize behavior that might not be considered Christ-like.
In our world, this kind of faith laden obedience can be...is...hard. Life in the 21st century bombards us with moral and spiritual temptations and there is also the things that we do not do - that we omit from our behavior - things that those of faith should be doing.
It's hard. Still the call remains loud and clear. Obey. Love. Serve. Do.
As we age in the faith, matters of obedience should become second nature to Christ followers. We should do the will of God without even thinking about it. As Jesus would have said, we should not let our left hand know what our right hand is doing. Obedience should be automatic and without much thought.
Even so, we will find ways to make our lives seem OK with God. We have middle age crises. We behave as teenagers when we are in our 50's. We long for the days of youthful hedonism. We seem to forget that we are mortal and the days of wine and roses have past. We forget that we will one day meet Jesus.
Bonhoeffer wrote the quote above in the midst of a holocaust that he refused to participate in. He saw the godless Nazis for what they were and he stood firm firm in his faith and the will of Christ to the end. His faith produced a harvest of obedience among nameless faithful Germans of the time that stood firm in the face of all kinds of persecution. I wonder if we would do so well? Will we be strong enough to stand when the gathering storm overtakes us? It's hard to say. It's hard to do. It's hard to be like Jesus.
Maybe this is why Rich Mullins wrote and sang:
Well, I am a good Midwestern boy
I give an honest day's work if I can get it
I don't cheat on my taxes, I don't cheat on my girl I've got values that would make the White House jealous
Well, I do get a little much over-impressed
'Til I think of Peter and Paul and the apostles
I don't stack up too well against them I guess
But by the standards 'round here I ain't doing that awful
Lord, it's hard to turn the other cheek
Hard to bless when others curse you
Oh Lord, it's hard to be a man of peace
Lord, it's hard, oh it's hard,
You know it's hard to be like Jesus
Don't you know it's hard, oh it's hard,
Oh Lord, it's hard to be like Jesus
And it's hard to step out on them waves
Hard to walk beyond your vision
Oh Lord, it's hard to be a man of faith
Lord, it's hard (hard), Lord, it's hard (so hard),
Oh Lord, it's hard to be like Jesus
Don't you know it's hard (hard), oh it's hard (yeah hard),
Oh Lord, it's hard to be like Jesus
Well, His eye's on the sparrow
And the lilies of the field I've heard
And He will watch over you and He will watch over me
So we can dress like flowers and eat like birds
And it's hard when your soul had been stripped bare
Hard to lift your eyes toward Heaven
Oh Lord, it's hard to be a man of prayer
Lord, it's hard, oh it's hard,
You know it's hard to be like Jesus
Lord, it's hard to be a man of peace
But it's hard (so hard), ain't it hard (hard),
You know it's hard to be like Jesus
Don't you know it's hard (hard), and it's hard (yeah hard)
To be a man of peace (hard, so hard)
But it's hard to be like Jesus
And I'm trying, trying, try
Oh Lord, I try so hard
Don't you know it's hard
Oh glory, oh gracious
But ain't it hard to be like Jesus
Lord please give us the strength to stand, whether the tempest is personal or all encompassing. We must never forget what you did for us and that remembrance must translate through our faith to behavior and a trustful knowing that you do indeed walk with us. Some of us think you actually meant what you said in Your Sermon on the Mount. It scares us because, it's hard. Help us to find joy in the challenge Lord! In your gracious Name we pray....Amen
This is the great truth of the Christian faith. God loves our obedience to His precepts. It's faith and obedience that produce trust in our relationship with God. This has been true since the days of our spiritual ancestor, Abraham, and it continues to be true today. We evangelicals and fundies tend to get all excited about His grace and love, but I think sometimes we use it to rationalize behavior that might not be considered Christ-like.
In our world, this kind of faith laden obedience can be...is...hard. Life in the 21st century bombards us with moral and spiritual temptations and there is also the things that we do not do - that we omit from our behavior - things that those of faith should be doing.
It's hard. Still the call remains loud and clear. Obey. Love. Serve. Do.
As we age in the faith, matters of obedience should become second nature to Christ followers. We should do the will of God without even thinking about it. As Jesus would have said, we should not let our left hand know what our right hand is doing. Obedience should be automatic and without much thought.
Even so, we will find ways to make our lives seem OK with God. We have middle age crises. We behave as teenagers when we are in our 50's. We long for the days of youthful hedonism. We seem to forget that we are mortal and the days of wine and roses have past. We forget that we will one day meet Jesus.
Bonhoeffer wrote the quote above in the midst of a holocaust that he refused to participate in. He saw the godless Nazis for what they were and he stood firm firm in his faith and the will of Christ to the end. His faith produced a harvest of obedience among nameless faithful Germans of the time that stood firm in the face of all kinds of persecution. I wonder if we would do so well? Will we be strong enough to stand when the gathering storm overtakes us? It's hard to say. It's hard to do. It's hard to be like Jesus.
Maybe this is why Rich Mullins wrote and sang:
Well, I am a good Midwestern boy
I give an honest day's work if I can get it
I don't cheat on my taxes, I don't cheat on my girl I've got values that would make the White House jealous
Well, I do get a little much over-impressed
'Til I think of Peter and Paul and the apostles
I don't stack up too well against them I guess
But by the standards 'round here I ain't doing that awful
Lord, it's hard to turn the other cheek
Hard to bless when others curse you
Oh Lord, it's hard to be a man of peace
Lord, it's hard, oh it's hard,
You know it's hard to be like Jesus
Don't you know it's hard, oh it's hard,
Oh Lord, it's hard to be like Jesus
And it's hard to step out on them waves
Hard to walk beyond your vision
Oh Lord, it's hard to be a man of faith
Lord, it's hard (hard), Lord, it's hard (so hard),
Oh Lord, it's hard to be like Jesus
Don't you know it's hard (hard), oh it's hard (yeah hard),
Oh Lord, it's hard to be like Jesus
Well, His eye's on the sparrow
And the lilies of the field I've heard
And He will watch over you and He will watch over me
So we can dress like flowers and eat like birds
And it's hard when your soul had been stripped bare
Hard to lift your eyes toward Heaven
Oh Lord, it's hard to be a man of prayer
Lord, it's hard, oh it's hard,
You know it's hard to be like Jesus
Lord, it's hard to be a man of peace
But it's hard (so hard), ain't it hard (hard),
You know it's hard to be like Jesus
Don't you know it's hard (hard), and it's hard (yeah hard)
To be a man of peace (hard, so hard)
But it's hard to be like Jesus
And I'm trying, trying, try
Oh Lord, I try so hard
Don't you know it's hard
Oh glory, oh gracious
But ain't it hard to be like Jesus
Lord please give us the strength to stand, whether the tempest is personal or all encompassing. We must never forget what you did for us and that remembrance must translate through our faith to behavior and a trustful knowing that you do indeed walk with us. Some of us think you actually meant what you said in Your Sermon on the Mount. It scares us because, it's hard. Help us to find joy in the challenge Lord! In your gracious Name we pray....Amen
Friday, July 17, 2015
Can You See?
My friend and local God botherer helped me wake up with a text message of the words spoken to blind Bartimaeus on the day he received his sight from the Lord. Mark 10 is a good chapter, but this incident speaks volumes to what Jesus came here to do for us. It goes something like this:
Mark 10: 46-52
"46 Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means “son of Timaeus”), was sitting by the roadside begging. 47 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
48 Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
49 Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”
So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” 50 Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.
51 “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him.
The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.”
52 “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road."
My friend texted me a portion of verse 49, "Cheer up! On your feet! He's Calling you."
My cynicism immediately set in. I was getting ready for work. I was trying to tell Dad what was available to eat throughout the day in my absence and the last thing in my head was a call from the Lord. I was not hearing it...frankly, I'm still not hearing it. My faith is weak today.
Fact is - I have longed for His healing for decades. I have wanted to speak up. I have spent years sitting by the spiritual roadside begging. I want to see! I have no doubt He can do it! But He seems to have some spiritual purpose in keeping me blind. He has not told me or showed me what that purpose is. I hope He does not expect me to see it. I can't! Sometimes He is just hard to get.
My blindness is more like a case of cataracts. I can see dimly. I can make out shapes and forms and come close to the truth about the real visage, but I cannot confirm anything. Perhaps His purpose in my continuing blindness is so He can be my guide. Doesn't explain why He lets me wander off from time to time, but it does teach me to cling to Him, I guess.
Lord, I can hear you, but I can't see you yet. I know you are there. Please open my eyes. I think I'm ready. Show me what may be ahead.
Mark 10: 46-52
"46 Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means “son of Timaeus”), was sitting by the roadside begging. 47 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
48 Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
49 Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”
So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” 50 Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.
51 “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him.
The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.”
52 “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road."
My friend texted me a portion of verse 49, "Cheer up! On your feet! He's Calling you."
My cynicism immediately set in. I was getting ready for work. I was trying to tell Dad what was available to eat throughout the day in my absence and the last thing in my head was a call from the Lord. I was not hearing it...frankly, I'm still not hearing it. My faith is weak today.
Fact is - I have longed for His healing for decades. I have wanted to speak up. I have spent years sitting by the spiritual roadside begging. I want to see! I have no doubt He can do it! But He seems to have some spiritual purpose in keeping me blind. He has not told me or showed me what that purpose is. I hope He does not expect me to see it. I can't! Sometimes He is just hard to get.
My blindness is more like a case of cataracts. I can see dimly. I can make out shapes and forms and come close to the truth about the real visage, but I cannot confirm anything. Perhaps His purpose in my continuing blindness is so He can be my guide. Doesn't explain why He lets me wander off from time to time, but it does teach me to cling to Him, I guess.
Lord, I can hear you, but I can't see you yet. I know you are there. Please open my eyes. I think I'm ready. Show me what may be ahead.
Wednesday, July 15, 2015
I Sensed a Foul Spirit...Wickedness in Habitation
I was reading an old friend's blog today and she was talking about how empty houses seemed souless. I don't disagree with this generally, but I have been in empty houses that were anything but souless. I have sensed evil in empty houses - maybe even evil spirits. I have also sensed evil in houses I have lived in - mostly as a child. My sense for that sort of thing was much sharper back then.
I have also been in one cemetery that seemed to have an evil spirit. I have been in many cemeteries in the day and in the night and sensed nothing out of place, but this one particular cemetery on the northwest side of Des Moines had something going on the night I was there. There was an evil presence that made the hair stand up on the back of my neck and I had quite a lot of hair in 1978. I was out walking with a different friend that night. We entered the cemetery in the course of the walk. It was small, gated and fenced with wrought iron. Not a lot of headstones, but many were ornate and the graves were very old - some to the mid 19th century. I felt a presence that seemed both evil and happy at the same time. It would stay behind me. I could almost hear it's foot steps. I looked at my walking companion and she seemed to be completely insensitive to it. I wanted to leave immediately, but she was distracted by the old stones. When we finally left and got passed the end of the wrought iron, the oppressive, mocking spirit departed. I felt the relief sweep over me like a storm had passed. It was a kind of 'scared' that I had not experienced since I was a child. I asked my friend if she felt anything in that cemetery and she laughed at me. She felt nothing.
Are you familiar with night terrors where you are asleep, maybe having a bad dream and you try to scream, but you can't and then suddenly you sit up in bed wide awake and maybe sweaty or breathing heavily? It's that kind of scared.
Anyhow, I commented on the blog post that I thought some empty houses were anything but souless and I also mentioned that I thought there were evil trees. I cannot explain it, but there are some trees, particularly in the oak family, that seem to have some vile spiritual component. I do not know how to explain it. Perhaps it comes from their appearance, but there are some trees that just seem evil to me. There is an oak across the road from where I currently live that kind of creeps me out. I do not have a picture of it, but I do have a couple of examples of what I mean below.
This tree is vile. It is monstrous and if it were in my yard, it would strike fear in my heart. It is a genuinely creepy tree. It is a sick and twisted oak tree. Can you see how nothing grows around it? It's sucking the life right out of it's environment.
Yes, I know it's very old and probably rare because of it, but I would bet money that it's rotten inside and probably even gives off an odor. I am reminded of the tree in the Old Forest outside the border of the Shire where Tom Bombadil lived with Goldberry. Do you remember the tree that captured Merry and Pippin and was gradually enclosing them in its trunk? That was Old Man Willow. Tom had to talk the tree into giving them up.
Trees can be scary things as well as beautiful...
Evil resides in weird places. Old trees. Empty houses. Cemeterys. Even certain people. You can say this is all in my head if you like, but I'm telling you I can sense these things. It ain't just my imagination.
Just let me say one more thing. I do not think this evil is ghost activity. I believe it to be demonic. There is a reason the old Druids worshiped trees...the really old ones have evil spirits in them.
All right, I will stop now. I'm sure this will be used some day to commit me to a nursing home or something. I think I'm about ready.
I have also been in one cemetery that seemed to have an evil spirit. I have been in many cemeteries in the day and in the night and sensed nothing out of place, but this one particular cemetery on the northwest side of Des Moines had something going on the night I was there. There was an evil presence that made the hair stand up on the back of my neck and I had quite a lot of hair in 1978. I was out walking with a different friend that night. We entered the cemetery in the course of the walk. It was small, gated and fenced with wrought iron. Not a lot of headstones, but many were ornate and the graves were very old - some to the mid 19th century. I felt a presence that seemed both evil and happy at the same time. It would stay behind me. I could almost hear it's foot steps. I looked at my walking companion and she seemed to be completely insensitive to it. I wanted to leave immediately, but she was distracted by the old stones. When we finally left and got passed the end of the wrought iron, the oppressive, mocking spirit departed. I felt the relief sweep over me like a storm had passed. It was a kind of 'scared' that I had not experienced since I was a child. I asked my friend if she felt anything in that cemetery and she laughed at me. She felt nothing.
Are you familiar with night terrors where you are asleep, maybe having a bad dream and you try to scream, but you can't and then suddenly you sit up in bed wide awake and maybe sweaty or breathing heavily? It's that kind of scared.
Anyhow, I commented on the blog post that I thought some empty houses were anything but souless and I also mentioned that I thought there were evil trees. I cannot explain it, but there are some trees, particularly in the oak family, that seem to have some vile spiritual component. I do not know how to explain it. Perhaps it comes from their appearance, but there are some trees that just seem evil to me. There is an oak across the road from where I currently live that kind of creeps me out. I do not have a picture of it, but I do have a couple of examples of what I mean below.
Yes, I know it's very old and probably rare because of it, but I would bet money that it's rotten inside and probably even gives off an odor. I am reminded of the tree in the Old Forest outside the border of the Shire where Tom Bombadil lived with Goldberry. Do you remember the tree that captured Merry and Pippin and was gradually enclosing them in its trunk? That was Old Man Willow. Tom had to talk the tree into giving them up.
Evil resides in weird places. Old trees. Empty houses. Cemeterys. Even certain people. You can say this is all in my head if you like, but I'm telling you I can sense these things. It ain't just my imagination.
Just let me say one more thing. I do not think this evil is ghost activity. I believe it to be demonic. There is a reason the old Druids worshiped trees...the really old ones have evil spirits in them.
All right, I will stop now. I'm sure this will be used some day to commit me to a nursing home or something. I think I'm about ready.
Profitable Genocide
If you knew your doctor or the personnel at your clinic or hospital were more interested in selling your organs and body parts than they were in making you well, how would you respond? If you knew that they were actively in the business of selling human body parts and organs for research and profit, what would you think? Finally, what if you learned that they were actively and covertly encouraging death choices over life choices simply to make money?
Well, that day is here. Apparently it's been going on for awhile, but now proof is available. Every one is familiar with Planned Parenthood right? It seems that these purveyors of death are actively engaging in the sales of aborted human fetuses and their various parts for medical research and consumer medical products. Turns out they are in agreements with a company called Stem Express. According to Breitbart
David Daleiden of the Center for Medical Progress said the abortion provider is lying: “Planned Parenthood makes two key admissions in their statement today; first, that aborted fetal parts are harvested at their clinics, and second, that money is exchanged in connection with this.”
He also says Planned Parenthood is lying by insisting it gets “proper consent” from its patients,” and “Planned Parenthood does not make money off the body parts.”
In response, Daleiden produced an online ad from StemExpress, Planned Parenthood’s partner in the body-parts business, that “advertises 4 different times the financial benefit that Planned Parenthood clinics can receive from supplying fetal tissue with the words, ‘Financially profitable,’ ‘Financial Profits,’ ‘financial benefit to your clinic,’ and ‘fiscal growth of your own clinic.'” The ad has the endorsement of Planned Parenthood Medical Director Dr. Dorothy Furgerson."
This is monstrous. This is is the kind of behavior that the Nazis engaged in, but with a difference....we volunteer for this behavior. Expectant women deliberately choose to destroy their unborn and then allow a quasi governmental entity like Planned Parenthood to profit from their heinous decision. I would imagine that the next step in this 'for profit' scheme will be the inclusion of the expectant mother in the profit scheme. It will be just like donating plasma. Go to the clinic, give up your fetus, get a check. PP and Stem Express will probably invest in fetus farming so they can harvest the cells they need for research and product.
Is this what we have been reduced to? Are we really this hard hearted? Apparently we are. Can the age of Soylent Green be that far off?
Well, that day is here. Apparently it's been going on for awhile, but now proof is available. Every one is familiar with Planned Parenthood right? It seems that these purveyors of death are actively engaging in the sales of aborted human fetuses and their various parts for medical research and consumer medical products. Turns out they are in agreements with a company called Stem Express. According to Breitbart
"The undercover journalist who videotaped a Planned Parenthood senior medical officer talking about how to buy and sell fetal body parts derived from aborted babies says Planned Parenthood is lying in their response to his video.
Planned Parenthood said Tuesday that it does not make money from selling fetal body parts to companies like StemExpress, and any revenues received are related strictly to expenses.David Daleiden of the Center for Medical Progress said the abortion provider is lying: “Planned Parenthood makes two key admissions in their statement today; first, that aborted fetal parts are harvested at their clinics, and second, that money is exchanged in connection with this.”
He also says Planned Parenthood is lying by insisting it gets “proper consent” from its patients,” and “Planned Parenthood does not make money off the body parts.”
In response, Daleiden produced an online ad from StemExpress, Planned Parenthood’s partner in the body-parts business, that “advertises 4 different times the financial benefit that Planned Parenthood clinics can receive from supplying fetal tissue with the words, ‘Financially profitable,’ ‘Financial Profits,’ ‘financial benefit to your clinic,’ and ‘fiscal growth of your own clinic.'” The ad has the endorsement of Planned Parenthood Medical Director Dr. Dorothy Furgerson."
This is monstrous. This is is the kind of behavior that the Nazis engaged in, but with a difference....we volunteer for this behavior. Expectant women deliberately choose to destroy their unborn and then allow a quasi governmental entity like Planned Parenthood to profit from their heinous decision. I would imagine that the next step in this 'for profit' scheme will be the inclusion of the expectant mother in the profit scheme. It will be just like donating plasma. Go to the clinic, give up your fetus, get a check. PP and Stem Express will probably invest in fetus farming so they can harvest the cells they need for research and product.
Is this what we have been reduced to? Are we really this hard hearted? Apparently we are. Can the age of Soylent Green be that far off?
Tuesday, July 14, 2015
Fishing Porn
My friend Steve is back from Canada (I think). He is pictured below with a 10 lb+ Muskie. The length is still in debate...mostly because I am extremely jealous. Way to go Steve. You made me sin. :^))) There is another picture of him standing in the middle of the mess he made while in Canada. I think he is looking for breakfast. His gull friend seems unphased by his presence. Nice fish Steve! I do mean that. I hope it bit you. This is not to say that I am not extremely happy for you. I just want you to have some pain to go with the joy....I'm like that you know!
Monday, July 13, 2015
Obesity Has a Sexual Preference
To date, it has cost the US taxpayer 3.5 million dollars, but, by golly, they are making progress. According to MRC TV :
"A U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) study to understand why lesbians are fat has now cost taxpayers over $3.5 million to-date.
The study, “Sexual Orientation and Obesity: A Test of a Gendered Biopsychosocial Model,” seeks to determine why there is a disparity in the obesity rates between straight women and lesbian women and straight men and gay men.
According to the study, “It is now well-established that women of minority sexual orientation are disproportionately affected by the obesity epidemic, with nearly three-quarters of adult lesbians overweight or obese, compared to half of heterosexual women. In stark contrast, among men, heterosexual males have nearly double the risk of obesity compared to gay males.”"
So gay women and straight men tend toward lardassery. This is important I suppose, especially to the actuaries and rate setters in the health insurance industry. I mean, how can we keep "Affordable Health Care ", i.e, "Obama Care", affordable if lesbians and white male couch potatoes are not cooperating?
In light of this problem, I am going to suggest a lesbian tax to fight this issue. Every lesbian that is two or more points over their appropriate BMI should pay an extra 15% income tax to compensate for their abuse of the health care system.
I am going to suggest further that white male heterosexuals be given a 15% reduction in their taxes to compensate for how they have been robbed blind for the last 50 years. My thought is, if they have money, they will get up off the couch and do something besides watch TV. They can take their straight fat wives to the mall and do a little shopping. All that walking is bound to help their weight issue.
Some will say this is not fair.
So...?
A Puzzling Situation
Does the fact that something is illegal make it more appealing or desirable? Do rules against certain human behaviors make us more curious about the activity and entice us to try them?
I think this is true much of the time with us. Why is it that if something is forbidden, we almost automatically set out to learn more about it and consider doing whatever it is ourselves?
Now I know some of you are saying to yourself, "what is he talking about? If something is forbidden then I do not do that. There are reasons why it's forbidden. I would not even consider it."
To that I would say, "well good for you. maybe you can come over and walk across my swimming pool."
I do not have a swimming pool. I lied. Do not come over even to try.
Seriously though, you know what I'm saying. Maybe we would not try murder, but we might smoke a doobie or drive too fast on the interstate (preferably not at the same time). I have done both in the distant past. One deed was never punished, but I had to move to another state to get a new driver's license because of the other. And, by the way, people have been surveyed about the murder question. It seems that if they were guaranteed to get away with it, they would consider murdering someone. What is up with that? Human beings are really screwed up.
Rules invite scrutiny. Scrutiny can lead to questions about the legitimacy of the rules themselves. If we do not see the sense in the rules, sometimes we disobey...simply because we want to, or it suits a need or it serves a purpose. We weigh the potential outcomes and we decide we will deal with it when it actually transpires...or maybe we just throw caution to the wind and do what we want because we want to do it.
When you were a kid and you did something that was against the rules and suffered the consequences, did you ever say to yourself, "it was soooooo worth it!"
It's a fact. Laws and rules invite disobedience. It's why we have jails and courts and prisons. Rules and laws have penalties.
And that brings me to yesterday's sermon on Romans 7. Thanks Dave for that.
Even the likes of the apostle, Paul of Tarsus, understood the nature of law and how it can incite disobedience in the human mind. Even Paul struggled with the principles of life that God has set before us. Paul does not let us off the responsibility hook for our failures, but he does tell us that when we fail in our walk with God, it is God we must turn to in repentance. At the high point of our rebellion for whatever it is, we need to turn ourselves in and throw ourselves on the mercy of the court. It seems that someone else has already taken up our sentence for whatever it is and we can rely on Him for that mercy. That person is none other than His Son, Jesus Christ. Paul describes the situation thus:
Romans 7:15-25
15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.[c] For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
21 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature[d] a slave to the law of sin.
And Romans 8:1-12
9 You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life[d] because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of[e] his Spirit who lives in you.
12 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. 13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.
So, if you are a Christian and you are thinking that some rules just don't apply to you, think again. Then do your best to live by the Spirit and not by the flesh. If you fail, turn yourself into the Judge. Make a deal. The civil authorities may lock you up, but the Eternal Judge of us all has mercy for those that seek Him..and if you are truly seeking Him, you probably would not be in trouble anyway right? He loves you. Just obey Him. It's easier that way. Really - it is. Take it from someone that knows.
I think this is true much of the time with us. Why is it that if something is forbidden, we almost automatically set out to learn more about it and consider doing whatever it is ourselves?
Now I know some of you are saying to yourself, "what is he talking about? If something is forbidden then I do not do that. There are reasons why it's forbidden. I would not even consider it."
To that I would say, "well good for you. maybe you can come over and walk across my swimming pool."
I do not have a swimming pool. I lied. Do not come over even to try.
Seriously though, you know what I'm saying. Maybe we would not try murder, but we might smoke a doobie or drive too fast on the interstate (preferably not at the same time). I have done both in the distant past. One deed was never punished, but I had to move to another state to get a new driver's license because of the other. And, by the way, people have been surveyed about the murder question. It seems that if they were guaranteed to get away with it, they would consider murdering someone. What is up with that? Human beings are really screwed up.
Rules invite scrutiny. Scrutiny can lead to questions about the legitimacy of the rules themselves. If we do not see the sense in the rules, sometimes we disobey...simply because we want to, or it suits a need or it serves a purpose. We weigh the potential outcomes and we decide we will deal with it when it actually transpires...or maybe we just throw caution to the wind and do what we want because we want to do it.
When you were a kid and you did something that was against the rules and suffered the consequences, did you ever say to yourself, "it was soooooo worth it!"
It's a fact. Laws and rules invite disobedience. It's why we have jails and courts and prisons. Rules and laws have penalties.
And that brings me to yesterday's sermon on Romans 7. Thanks Dave for that.
Even the likes of the apostle, Paul of Tarsus, understood the nature of law and how it can incite disobedience in the human mind. Even Paul struggled with the principles of life that God has set before us. Paul does not let us off the responsibility hook for our failures, but he does tell us that when we fail in our walk with God, it is God we must turn to in repentance. At the high point of our rebellion for whatever it is, we need to turn ourselves in and throw ourselves on the mercy of the court. It seems that someone else has already taken up our sentence for whatever it is and we can rely on Him for that mercy. That person is none other than His Son, Jesus Christ. Paul describes the situation thus:
Romans 7:15-25
15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.[c] For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
21 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature[d] a slave to the law of sin.
And Romans 8:1-12
8 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you[a] free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh,[b] God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering.[c] And so he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
5 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. 7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.9 You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life[d] because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of[e] his Spirit who lives in you.
12 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. 13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.
So, if you are a Christian and you are thinking that some rules just don't apply to you, think again. Then do your best to live by the Spirit and not by the flesh. If you fail, turn yourself into the Judge. Make a deal. The civil authorities may lock you up, but the Eternal Judge of us all has mercy for those that seek Him..and if you are truly seeking Him, you probably would not be in trouble anyway right? He loves you. Just obey Him. It's easier that way. Really - it is. Take it from someone that knows.
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