Small group bible study members don't always agree

I know I've written here before how much I love my small group bible study.  I do.  I love them all.

I can say I love them all, 'cause I really do love them, but does loving them mean I have to agree with them all the time?  'Cause I don't.  There is one guy in the group that likes to "push back" at me.  I can see we come at many things from opposite ends of the playing field.  A couple weeks ago we had a tiny "back and forth."  I'm not going to call it an argument, but it was kind of like the old schoolyard argument, "Can so," "Can not," "Can so," "Can not," "Can so," "Can not."  Seriously?

The topic of the debate was one of the "hot buttons" debate topics; Are homosexuals born homosexual or is it a preference?  I said that if there was a homosexual gene, we'd have heard about it by now.  There is a lot of scientists looking for it.  No one has found it.  That being said, homosexuality must be a preference.  Of course, this sounds harsh.  We all know people who are unhappy with their sexual orientation and say they wouldn't "choose" this if they, indeed, had a choice.  We all know of the identification, at a young age, of a gay person.  We can say, "Oh yeah, I knew he (or she) was gay when they were little."  I asked this guy's reasoning for saying that homosexuality was genetic and that a person was "born that way."  His answer was, "because."  (the unfortunate "back and forth" came because, in the worst form of my ISTJ personality type, "because" is not an answer)  The true answer was, of course, because someone this gentleman loves is gay.  And he does not want to believe that his friend or relative is "choosing" to be gay.  He wants to believe his friend or relative was born gay, and therefore, God created him this way.  Thus, his friend is not sinning while engaging in the homosexual lifestyle.  I completely understand this.  I do not have a "happy answer" for my bible study friend.  The only answer I have it that there is a spirit of homosexuality.  It's an evil spirit and it is not the spirit of the person it inhabits, but a separate spirit altogether.  Maybe some day I'll write an entire blog post on this concept, but for now I'm just going to leave it at this.

I felt just horrible about this conflict.  My desire is to get along with everyone in the group and not have any disagreement.  I know this is impossible, but there you have it.  When my bible study friend did not show up the following Monday I felt so guilty.  I was convincing myself that I was the cause of his absence.  (and, yes, I do realize that is quite arrogant of me)  However, he did show up last Monday.  I was so glad to see him.  I promised myself I would agree with everything he said.  I wouldn't have a dissenting opinion on anything that came up in conversation this evening.

Oh well, you know what they say about our plan's... I'm sure God had a good laugh at my expense.

The bible study on this Monday evening was Jehovah Rapha, the LORD that heals.  I was doing pretty well at keeping my thoughts to myself, but... then I said this.  I believe that depression is a luxury of the leisure class.  I believe it's a fairly recent malady of our generation.  I believe that in my grandparents generation people couldn't afford to be depressed, they had to work hard to make a living.  My generation and the subsequent generations have enough leisure time to afford their depression.  Now, of course, I wasn't saying there was no such thing as mental illness.  I wasn't saying that there was no such thing as depression.  All I was saying was that it is much more prevalent because we don't work (physically work) hard enough anymore.  We are depressed because we're fat or we're don't have enough money, or our house isn't big enough, etc.  Anyway, my bible study friend took offense at my statement.  He argued that depression was real and what I said had no truth in it.  I did not argue.  I asked him why he thought this.  He said a relative of his had committed suicide because of depression.  There was no way I was going to argue with that.  Of course, not all people complaining of depression commit suicide, but this guy could be right.  Who am I to say anything different. 

Evidently this gentleman makes all his decisions about the world around him by his personal experiences and those of his relative and close friends.  I'm certain I am not a blood relative of this man and the chance of me becoming a close friend is becoming slimmer with each encounter.  I will never be an influence on this guy's world-view.  I'm good with that.

284.  Going out for dinner with a good friend
285.  Getting flowers from my boss on Administrative Assistant's Day
286.  Azaleas beginning to bloom
287.  Dogwood trees in their full glory
288.  My small group bible study members (all of them)
289.  Smiles

The unteachables

There are just some people out there in the world that are downright unteachable.  Lately I've run into a few people that are absolutely unteachable.  It's not like these folks are mentally deficient or damaged or have any physical ailments.  They just can't seem to learn anything new.

This is very hard for me to understand.  In fact, I've found myself frustrated and baffled by the situations.  I'm a person that loves to learn new things.  Sure, I have my favorite areas of interest, and I enjoy learning new things in those particular areas the best.  However, if I have to learn a new way of doing things or a new way of thinking about things, I'll give it my best shot.  I know I've told you in past blog posts that I'm an ISTJ in the Myers Briggs psychological typing.  Traditionally the ISTJ type likes tried and true methods of doing things.  Yeah, that's mostly how I roll.  Yet, I like to hear how other people do things.  And, if I'm forced into learning a new way to do things, for example the big switch at work from Microsoft Outlook to Google Gmail, I'll do it.  And, I will do it the best I can.

Lately I've run into those folks that won't learn.  I'm sure they CAN learn, but they don't want to learn.  In fact, they spend more time and energy trying to change everyone they meet to do things their way instead of learning the way things are done in their new situation.  It's amazing to watch this happen. 

I've encountered a couple individuals spending thousands of dollars trying to change the way social networking works instead of just keeping off the twitter account, facebook account and blabbing on the web altogether.  I've run into people at work trying to change the way we do business at my office to the way they were used to doing things at their old office instead of adjusting to the way we do things here.

How do you know if you are one of the unteachable?  I have a few indicators I'll share with you.

• Do you talk non-stop?  Will you, seriously, not stop talking long enough to hear what someone is trying to say to you?  If you are doing all the talking, you are doing none of the listening.
• Do you nod your head up and down and say "yeah" or "uh huh" or "I see" or something equally patronizing?  Do you say "yeah, but...?"  If you are butting all the time, you aren't listening.  A bunch of buts usually means you are trying to teach them, not learn.
• Do you ask questions?  This is critical to being teachable.  Teachable people ask pertinent questions.  Were you trying to understand or were you trying to be understood?  A person can't ask questions if they are not really listening.
• Do you ever apply something someone has told you or something you have read to a situation in your life?  If you don't ever use anything you may have inadvertently picked up by reading or accidentally overhearing something, you may be unteachable.
• Do you have an opinion on everything?  Opinions are like noses, everyone has one.  If you have an opinion on absolutely EVERYTHING and you feel the need to share your opinion with absolutely EVERYONE, you aren't trying to learn.  You are trying to teach.

Even the bible tells us to have a teachable spirit.

1 Peter 5:5:  Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

Proverbs 13:18:  Poverty and disgrace come to him who ignores instruction, but whoever heeds reproof is honored.

2 Timothy 3:16:  All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,

Proverbs 12:1:  Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid.

Be a teachable person.  It's worth the effort.

 

135.  Friends with mad building and repairing skills
136.  Enough patience to get the insurance company to pay for our flu shots
137.  Living near a town named Loveville (isn't this a great place to send Valentines from?)
138.  Going to the movies with a good friend
139.  Learning new things from the bloggers I read
140.  Listening to christian music on the radio on the drive into work
141.  Learning how to sharpen a knife with a honing stick (I love the way chefs do that thing with the knife and the stick, but I'm a lot slower at it)

Fruits of the Spirit given to me

Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control

There they are.  All nine fruits of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23.  There are a couple things I have learned about these nine attributes that I didn't understand and I'd like to share them with you.  I'm sure many of you already know most of what I don't know, (because there are libraries filled with stuff I don't know) but I beg your indulgence.

The first thing I have learned about these fruits is that they come directly from the Holy Spirit, himself.  These are not attributes we develop on our own.  Also, this Love and Joy and Peace and Kindness and Patience and Goodness and Faithfulness and Gentleness and Self-Control are God's divine attributes.  Not the same as those named by mere men.  We may use the same names for them, but the manifestation of these attributes from God are not the same as those exhibited by men.  In order for us to exhibit the fruits of the Spirit we must stay connected to Jesus.  Just as Jesus told us in John 15:5, he is the vine and we are the branch.  Apart from him, we can do nothing.  Connected to him, we bear fruit.

Love:  We are to love God, first, then love ourselves and others, and ultimately, to love our enemies.  This is not the love we see in men, but the love that God has for us.  After all, we were his enemy before we accepted the Holy Spirit into our hearts and became his child.

Joy:  The happiness we have because we serve God.  This is also the source of our strength in God.  Without Joy in the Lord, we can become weak and dry.

Peace:  The sense of tranquility and poise from having the Holy Spirit (God) living in our hearts.  The sense of well-being and confidence from fully relying on God and his promises.

Patience:  Understanding and trusting God's timing.  Understanding that as the creator of time, God exists outside of time.  Trusting God's timing and having confidence in his promises.  This is steadfastness and endurance, even when times get tough. 

Kindness:  This is a quality of love that will flow through us when we stay connected to Jesus Christ.  It is a love for mankind, a readiness to help, hospitality, and a sweetness in disposition.

Goodness:  The quality of God's goodness manifested in his people has the effect of drawing people to God.  This goodness is kindness in action.  It is the core of what a believer is.  God is good, all the time.  We, his children, have been given the attribute of God's goodness.

Faithfulness:  Staying true and loyal to God is something that God wants from us.  He has told us he is a jealous God and will not tolerate unfaithfulness.  Our commitment to God should be reflected in our commitment to family and friends that have been brought into our lives.

Gentleness:  This attribute can be described as power and strength under control.  Gentleness should not be confused with weakness.  It is said that, at times, a soft answer will turn away wrath.

Self-Control:  Having victory over one's flesh.  Having victory over vices.  This attribute is huge.  Our hearts may be filled with the Spirit, but it is housed in a body of flesh.  This flesh needs to be disciplined and kept in check.

Thanks for allowing me to work through this verse of scripture and re-teach myself the truth of the gifts that God has given to me.

40.  Quiet
41.  Prayer
42.  Meditation
43.  Contemplation
44.  Rest
45.  Peace
46.  Trust
47.  A shoulder massage
48.  Yoga stretches at my desk
49.  Tylenol

(I've got a crummy migraine today that has held over from yesterday, but I still came to work)

I'm a Titus 2 older woman

Here I am, the Titus 2 older woman.  Even I can't believe I'm here.  My whole adult life I thought of myself as the Proverbs 31 woman.  I guess one can be both, but that's asking an awful lot of just one woman.  Even though the bible doesn't speak of the women as often as it spotlights the men, the verses directed towards us are chock-full of action items.

Here is a condensed version of what the Proverbs 31 woman is.  (this is the model God has for us girls.  ladies, hold on to your hats.)

The character of the Proverbs 31 woman is to be:  confident, courageous, dignified, diligent, an early riser. faithful, generous, industrious, influential, kind, moral, not lazy, observant, organized, prudent, reverent, sensible, one of strength, trustworthy, well groomed, and wise.

Her skillset is to include the textile arts, where she is to be creative, know handspinning, be knowledgeable in textiles, and have sewing skills.  She is also to be skilled in the culinary arts as the purchaser of choice foods and supervising meals.  Her management skills should include:  attention to detail, common sense, knowledge of home businesses, being a wise investor, observant, organized, taking the role of the overseer, being philanthropic, prepared, realistic, showing stewardship, being successful, teaching, and just all around wisdom.

Finally, her relationship with her husband should be one that shows appreciation for him, has his best interests at heart, be one of trust, full of praise for him, and be one of unity.

This, my friends, is a full-time job.  Oh?  What is that you say?  You have a full-time job outside of the home, too?  Just remember to take your vitamins.  Your going to need the energy.  Luckily, or not (depending on your point of view), you get seven days off each month to sit in a tent or cave on your own while you have your period.  (I hope I didn't offend anyone by saying "period,"  Especially Richard, the fb ranter of maxipad commercials.  check it out.)

One day you will wake up and discover you have become the Titus 2 woman.  Just when you got a handle on being the Proverbs 31 woman, wham, life takes a turn.  I can tell you, the day comes (about 25 years into your marriage) when the relationship with your husband has become such a close partnership that each and every one of the recommendations in Proverbs becomes as natural as breathing in and out.  You notice that you've gotten a handle on the home management thing, too.  (especially now that those sticky handed toddlers and non-driving teenagers have left the nest.)  You think you've checked the box.  But, No.  God has a new job for you.

Titus 2:3-5  "Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the Word of God."

This is my new biblical admonition.  If, by any chance, you find yourself in my shoes and have discovered you are now a Titus 2 woman, remember this; just because we are able and capable to train the younger women, that doesn't mean they're going to listen to us.  And, if by any chance, you are a younger woman doing your best to follow the Proverbs 31 model; take a moment to ask a Titus 2 woman what she thinks or how she handled some of marriage's, motherhood's and general life living situations and struggles.  Believe it or not, things have not changed that much and there may be some wisdom between those older ears.

God knew what he was doing when he wrote these two passages.  Iron sharpens iron.  Experience is an excellent teacher.  One great thing about being in fellowship with other christians is to seek out wisdom and life long experience of walking this life with Jesus and allowing the Holy Spirit to guide us instead of the latest parenting trend or following the lifestyle trends of the Hollywood set.

Allow me to introduce myself as one of the newest Titus 2 women on this earth.  I know God has said (and I paraphrase), "You have not, because you ask not."  Feel free to ask me anything.  :)

Linking with Emily at Imperfect Prose on Thursday.

619.  Loving in a long marriage

620.  Raising a loving son

621.  Walking with Jesus for many years

622.  Being forgiven much

623.  Learning from Godly older women

624.  Caring about the next generation of christian women

I'm losing my compassion

I'm afraid I'm losing my compassion for people.  People in general, not people individually.  I've still maintained a fair amount of compassion for my friends and family, although in some cases even this is becoming difficult.

I'm afraid my heart is becoming hardened to people out there because of the attitude presented by the "so called" poor.  The date for my tenants to move out came and went.  My husband's blood pressure is dropping a bit, and that's a good thing.  The eviction is in the court system and it will happen at the snail's pace our court system functions at.  I just have to share this one thing.  They told us it is not their fault they haven't moved out.  It's not their fault.  They don't have a truck.  Nope, they don't have a truck so they can't move out.  Yep, not their fault. 

Evidently the only people able to move in this country are people that have trucks.  (my tenants, evidently, have never heard of UHAUL)  These people kill me.  (we are still talking about a family consisting of a grandmother, her two sons, ages 25 and 27, and a granddaughter.  what is up with these people?)

My compassion began waning while I was in the scary bible study with the church ladies.  There was the one "poor me" church lady that constantly had her hand out.  Her hand was out for money, for gas, for ANYTHING you could give her, but mostly, for money.  I tried to have compassion, but her attitude exuded, you should give me whatever I ask for because you have more than I have and I want what you have and I don't think I have to work or save or anything, you should just give it to me.  It was so frustrating to try to walk alongside her in her lean years.  She still wanted to go out to restaurants instead of cooking at home.  She wanted to stay home with her children and not work.  She wanted everything she wanted right now and didn't want to wait to earn or save for it.  When I loaned her items she asked for, she didn't return them.  She had to be asked over and over to give them back.  Her childish attitude did not match her adult body and adult responsibilities.

So, my level of compassion for "the poor" is waning.  I need help.

I'm seeking help and the best place I know to look is God's word.  I know God has a lot of compassion for people.  He had a super amount of compassion for the Israelites.  They moaned and groaned and even made a golden calf while they were in the desert and God was leading them (albeit in a 40 year trek) to the promised land.  I'm seeking help.

After searching God's word, I am, mostly, convicted.

Romans 12:15  Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.
I can do this.  I struggle with how to weep for those who want what I have because they think it's not fair that I have more than they have.

Proverbs 19:17  He who is gracious to a poor man lends to the LORD, And He will repay him for his good deed.
Wow, this is a good one.  This one makes me remember I need to wait on the Lord and not take matters into my own hands.  This one is also one that makes me want to find another word for poor in this country.  I am happy to give to the poor.  I'm not quite as gracious to the entitled. 

1 Corinthians 12:25-26  that there should be no division in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.
This one makes me think of the church lady.  I think this was the one she used to rationalize asking every member of the church for money.  I think this was the one used to rationalize asking the church to give them a low interest loan.  I want to care for members of the body.  It just makes it hard to give when you watch some take advantage.

1 Peter 3:8  To sum up, let all be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit;
This on is very convicting.  I'm taping it to my computer monitor right now.

Psalms 35:13-14  But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth; I humbled my soul with fasting; And my prayer kept returning to my bosom. I went about as though it were my friend or brother; I bowed down mourning, as one who sorrows for a mother. But whoever has the world's goods, and beholds his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? 
This is love.  How can anyone behold a brother in need and close his heart and say they have the love of God in him.  These verses are beginning to break my heart.

Luke 10:33  But a certain Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion,
And this is how I am to respond.

Job 30:25  Have I not wept for the one whose life is hard? Was not my soul grieved for the needy?
The needy will grieve my soul.  When I think of the hunger of my fellow man, the food in my mouth will taste bitter.

Psalm 51:1  Be gracious to me, O God, according to Thy loving kindness; According to the greatness of Thy compassion blot out my transgressions.
I will treat others as I wish to be treated, with kindness and compassion.

Psalm 111:4  He has made His wonders to be remembered; The LORD is gracious and compassionate.
God is gracious and compassionate.  I want to be a reflection of him.

Thanks for taking this walk through God's word and seeking his thoughts on compassion with me.  I know he is faithful and will continue to break my heart for his people.  I know those people that have taken advantage of the system and have a lazy disposition and a hand out and don't want to work will be punished.  My attitude can still be compassionate and that compassion doesn't mean I have to give to the entitled.  I need to keep an open heart to the needy and give obediently and pray that God sends my money and my efforts to the ones that truly needs help.

I'm linking with Emily at Imperfect Prose on Thursday

610.  God's word available to me at any time
611.  Another opportunity to learn to trust God more deeply
612.  Learning more about prayer by praying for my tenants
613.  Learning more about prayer by praying for the church lady

How I deal with my Islamophobia

Yep, I have Islamophobia.  I admit it.  I'm not even ashamed of it, for that matter.  But, I know, I cannot and will not be controlled by it.

The biggest symptom of this, for me, flares up when I fly.  There is a tiny part in the pit of my stomach that tenses up when I see a person I perceive to be a Muslim on the plane with me.  I don't get off the plane.  I don't alert everyone that I think there will be a problem on the plane.  In fact, after the plane takes off and I get involved in my book, I don't even think about it again.  But I remember what happened on September 11, 2001.  I remember the faces of the terrorists that attacked our nation.  I remember.

And then I remember what Paul says in Romans 12:18-21.  He says, "If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

The image of heaping burning coals on a person's head sounds like it means to cause a person pain, but it really is not. It is meant to give the image of stirring up the coals of a fire to bring it back to life after the fire begins to die down. This is to be an image to cause a person a response of remorse, when they see your kindness in the face of their meanness. Paul is saying, in this passage, we cause our enemies to be remorseful for their actions toward us, or as we say these days, "kill them with kindness."

This is the rub.  "... but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord."  Waiting.  Leaving vengeance to God.  Trusting God will do what he says he is going to do.  Trusting God will do what he says he is going to do without being around to see it.  Waiting...  Trusting...  Believing...

Then letting it go and overcoming evil with good.

On a person to person level I can absolutely do this.  I can be helpful to a Muslim mother struggling with groceries and children.  I can hold a door open or do whatever kindnesses would be needed on a person to person basis.

As a group, I'm frightened of Muslims.  I know there is a faction that hates me just because I'm an American.  I know this faction preys upon the poor and uneducated in their nations and trains them in hate from early childhood.  I know that this type of hate is not born into them, but fed and nurtured and brought to full hate-filled bloom.

As certain as I am of the hate there is for me, because I'm an American, I am equally certain the images in the Atlantic Wire are true.  As certain as I am that there are Muslims doing nothing more each day than plotting and planning to harm and kill me, because I'm an American, I'm equally certain the images of the Muslims portrayed in Gawker about #Muslim Rage are true.

I can only begin to wait and trust and believe from where I am right now.  I struggled with the verses the study had us use to go through this lesson on Islamophobia.  (You can check out these verses yourself, if you so desire:  Genesis 34:1-31, Leviticus 19:1-3, 9-18, 32-37, Jonah 1:1-17, John 10:11-16, IChorinthians 10:23-11:1, and ITimothy 6:1-5)

I chose to stick with a tried and true verse I know by heart, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."  (John 3:16)

I will continue in my struggle to love others as Jesus loved.  I will continue to pray for peace.  I'm left where I started.  As a Christian I need to love; forgive as I have been forgiven; and be a reflection of Christ.  As an American, I cannot tolerate an attack on my country without repercussion.  I cannot allow attacks on our allies and threats of attacks without defending them.  So what do I do?  How do I act?  What am I to feel?  It seems if I'm to be a "good" Christian I need to act passive.  To me, this seems weak.  I hate to appear weak.  But I remember the child's song that reminds me, "when I am weak, He is strong."  I'm not a child anymore, but maybe I need to be like one, in this case.

Again, I will trust that there is true evil in the world and trust what Paul says in IITimothy 3:1-9.  "But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith. But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men."

And I'll pray, Jesus, do not tarry.

Linking with Emily at Imperfect Prose on Thursday

589.  Allowing God to chip off my sharp edges
590.  Reading the bible with Christians much further along in their walk than I am
591.  Learning to wait, by reading about Noah
592.  Learning to trust, by reading about Joseph
593.  Learning to believe, by reading about Jonah
594.  Learning to pray, by reading about Jesus 
595.  Being able to let myself be weak and allow him to be strong  

Christian or American

I think some day soon, I may have to decide.  I never before thought it would be difficult to be both.  I don't think I'll have to make this choice in my lifetime, but you never know.

Tonight my small group bible study starts up for the fall.  I'm excited and nervous.  I'm excited to meet with a group of people, I can say, I call friends.  I'm looking forward to diving into the bible and learning more about how I am to live in this world today.  I'm nervous because, this fall, we are using a new study and a very different format.

I've been in a BUNCH of bible studies in my life.  I know the drill.  I know a lot of the answers already.  I think this new study will be quite challenging.  This study is a life to bible study.  (as opposed to a bible to life study.  bible to life is reading and studying scripture and applying it to your life.  life to bible is taking current events from our life and discovering what the bible has to say about these things.)  The study is called The Wired Word.  It is non-denominational and looks to be thought provoking.

This is my first life to bible study.  Tonight we are delving into the anti-American protests that erupted in the last couple weeks in Cairo, Egypt and Benghazi, Libya in response to the YouTube video.  It will be interesting to look at these events through the bible and not through the media.  (here's an analogy for the bible from Phillips Brooks "The Bible is like a telescope. If a man looks through his telescope, then he sees the worlds beyond; but if he looks at his telescope, then he does not see anything but that. The Bible is a thing to be looked through, to see that which is beyond; but most people only look at it; and so they see only the dead letter.")  I believe this study is going to challenge me.  I've looked over the material for tonight's study.  This is the first set of questions we are going to tackle.

1. Are you aware of any personal attitudes or concerns that might be rooted in Islamophobia? How do those stand up when compared to the reality of the Muslim world, as best as you can ascertain it? What concerns do you have about Muslims/Islam that seem rooted in reality? What appreciation do you have of Muslims/Islam that seems rooted in reality? What religious resources help you not to demonize all Muslims? 

I'm a little scared.  (I'll let you know how it goes.)

The idea of looking at current events through the bible peeked my interest.  My husband and I were watching a movie about a trio of Jewish Nazi hunters in Germany after WWII.  They were to hunt down and kidnap a Nazi surgeon.  Helen Mirren was in the movie.  This movie got me to thinking about my life.  What if my husband and I had been German citizens during WWII?  What if my husband had been a career navy man when the Nazis came to power?  Would we have been Nazis?  Could you be a Nazi and be a Christian?  If my husband had wanted to leave the navy he probably would have been killed or imprisoned.  How did German Christians behave during this time?  How did churches respond to the political climate?

I believe our nation is entering a new political climate.  We, as Christians, are going to have to decide what we will be the base for choices we make in our lives.  Will we act on the basis of our faith or will we act on the basis of nationalism? 

577.  Quiet day at the office
578.  Receiving an email from my son with part of a class paper and asking for my opinion
579.  Listening to acorns on the glass topped picnic table on my deck (BANG!)
580.  Getting back together with my small group bible study
581.  Reading encouraging blog comments

Be certain it is God speaking

A while back I wrote a post about discerning the voice of God.  I've struggled with "hearing" God speak to me.  I guess I have a problem with it because, for some reason, God's voice sounds an awful lot like my voice.  I mean, he has a Chicago accent and everything.  Sometimes, I swear, I believe God says to me, "Go ahead, you can eat that donut."  I wonder if the others who say they hear God telling them to do something hear God speaking with a Chicago accent?  I mean, God has been accused of telling people to do some crazy stuff.  I've heard of people who do horrible things under the guise of saying God was telling them to do something.  They've killed their children or raped somebody or shed someone's blood or tried to sell their house as a short sale so they could live in a bus.  I'm pretty skeptical that God was telling them to do these things.

I've watched people who are absolutely certain it is God telling them to do some crazy things (not crazy like hurting or killing someone, but pretty darn irresponsible) and watched door after door slamming in their face, but they are still certain it is God's will (not their will) to quit their jobs or move or go into debt or whatever.  I guess they really believe God wants them to put themselves into bankruptcy or jail or whatever.  Really?

I found this Story Of The Remote Employee by Sandy Gregory on the blogs while looking around for information on hearing the voice of God.  (I just finished studying Mark 1:11 And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”and Matthew 17:5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!" So I know sometimes God does speak so EVERYONE around can hear him.  I wish that happened around me.  A little confirmation would be great.)  This story is so good as an analogy for discerning whether or not it is God speaking or somebody else.

Imagine you are hired to open up an office in Anchorage, Alaska. Your new boss gives you a high-tech looking two-way radio, a policy and procedure manual, and tells you that you will receive instructions once you arrive, and off you go. Upon arrival you hear your boss's voice over the radio, saying, "I will communicate to you through this radio unit. But take note: our competitors, our enemies, also have access to this channel. They will try to impersonate my voice with false messages to thwart our purposes." "Oh no!" you panic, "Then how will I know if it is you or the enemy giving me instructions?"

Your boss's voice comes back over the radio: "Three ways. First, considering the situation, check every message supposedly from me against the policy and procedure manual. Since I wrote it, I'm not likely to ask you to violate it, right? Also, if I am not talking, don't focus in on the noise, pretending that I am. If I am not speaking, let the manual be your guide. Don't let any impersonating voice mislead you, or your own overactive imagination."

"Second, since the Manual does not cover every situation, you will have to get to know my voice. I know, this will take time, and so I am not likely to ask you to do anything radical until we both have some low-risk successes under our belts. Remember, I understand the situation perfectly well, so I'll go slow at first. A time will come when I will be able to tell you to do the wildest things, and you will know it is me. In the short-term, you must be trained through low-risk experience."

"Third, over time, my overall purpose for your work will begin to come into focus. You will begin to see the grand strategy in the policy and procedure manual, and the overall pattern of my true instructions. When this happens, you'll know instantly if what you hear through your unit is 'of me', just your imagination, or enemy misinformation. False instructions will begin to appear silly to you then. So take heart, and get to work."

After reflecting on this a few moments, you hear your boss's voice again on the radio unit. "Take all of the money from petty cash and give it the next person that walks in, no questions asked." Hmmm... You look in the policy and procedure manual, and this is specifically forbidden. Besides, you know your boss wouldn't tell you to do something that risky right off. And also there was an certain "twang" to the voice, an appeal to something different within you, and a plan that was not in the long-term interests of the company. So, even though you are on a hostile channel, you are beginning to have hope that you can indeed do this job.

There is the rub.  This world is a hostile channel.  You don't even have to believe there is spiritual warfare all around us.  You don't have to believe there are fallen angels seeking to tempt us and turn us from the narrow path.  You can have confidence that this weak body we inhabit wants what it wants when it wants it.  I think that may be why God sounds so much like me.  Do you think it's my will I'm listening to?  Ya think?

To get a handle on whether or not it is the voice of God you need to check the manual, often, and learn the policies.  (It's THY will be done, not MY will be done.)  Learn the sound of God's voice.  (I'm thinking this is going to take time.  Maybe this is why he waited until Abram was 75 before he told him to leave Ur.)  Finally, we need to fully grasp God's overall purpose for our lives.  Wherever you are, God has put you there. God has a purpose in your being there.

Be careful when you tell yourself you are following the will of God because God is talking to you.  There is a good chance you may be following someone else, or as Flip Wilson used to say on Laugh-In, "The devil made me do it."  (ask your parents)

499.  I can quit my job any time I want to (and today I'm coming awfully close)
500.  My computer still works (I spilled my soup on my keyboard)
501.  My mom is still fun to talk to (she didn't remember my wedding day, but that's ok, she still remembers her own wedding day)
502.  Capturing summer goodness in freezer bags and canning jars

Flip Wilson

eat mor chikin

Wow, did your fb newsfeed, twitter account and blogroll BLOW UP over the Chick-fil-A story?  Evidently the owner of a privately held company is not allowed to have a personal belief and not allowed to have his personal belief affect the way he runs his privately owned company.  Huh?

We get it, Dan Cathy, president of Chick-fil-A, doesn't think gay marriage is biblical.  And he said so.  This is not illegal, nor a surprise.  Another non-surprise is that Cathy is a christian.  He even believes his employees ought not work on Sundays and in response, his stores are not open on Sundays.  Non-Surprise!

The gay-rights activists had a field day.  Gee, more stuff for them to complain about.  The liberal christians (almost all mainstream christian churches now-a-days) had a field day with this "news" story, as well.

Cathy didn't say he wouldn't serve gay people.  He didn't even say he wouldn't hire gay people.  And he REALLY didn't say he didn't like gay people.  He said he didn't believe that gay marriage was biblical.

For my two cents (and I'm sure it's not even worth that much) I agree with him.  I would never say I don't like gay people, but I will say I don't like their political agenda, I never have.  I don't like the way they've twisted the idea that gays cannot be christians.  This has never been the case.  It's always been about living in unrepentant sin and being in leadership in the church.  Now, if you want to make the issue that gay sex isn't sin (and they won't, 'cause nobody wants to talk about gay sex) then that is another story.

It's too bad we cannot focus on love outside of the context of sex.  Sex is optional.  Love is essential.  I believe we do not celebrate singleness and celibacy enough, especially in the church.  I think it's a shame the rate of divorce in marriage is the same for confessing christians as it is for those that do not confess Christ.  It is heart-breaking to listen to fellow christians bash each other, instead of support each other, when one's faith is being held up to ridicule. 

Even though I'm not a big chicken consumer, I'm going to be shopping at Chick-fil-A more often.

464.  Laid a friend to rest and I have confidence he is with Jesus
465.  Coverage of the olympic games  
466.  Slightly cooler weather
467.  A clean and organized freezer
468.  Peach and blueberry pie (I know, I said I'd make a cobbler, but it ended up being pie)
469.  Food bloggers and their delicious recipes
470.  More watermelon  

Thou shalt not steal, unless Jesus says it's OK

The parable of the shrewd manager from Luke 16:1-15 was the last of the small group bible study in this series of parables.  I've done a lot of bible studies and, I have to admit, I've never done a study on this parable.  To be even more honest, I don't think our group really understands what Jesus was getting at with this one, but we tried.

Jesus told his disciples:   “There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions. So he called him in and asked him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.’

The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I’m not strong enough to dig, and I’m ashamed to beg– I know what I’ll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.’

So he called in each one of his master’s debtors. He asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’

‘Eight hundred gallons of olive oil,’ he replied.

The manager told him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred.’

Then he asked the second, ‘And how much do you owe?’

‘A thousand bushels of wheat,’ he replied.

He told him, ‘Take your bill and make it eight hundred.’

The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.

Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?

No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.”

The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God’s sight.

This doesn't seem right, does it.  If I'm reading this correctly Jesus is telling his disciples it is ok to steal from your boss.  Yet, in the passage, the boss is commending the dishonest manager for his clever, albeit, unrighteous ways.  In fact, the boss says worldly people are more shrewd in dealing with other worldly people, than the people of the light.

What is Jesus trying to get across to his listeners (and us)?  I think Jesus is using reverse psychology on his listeners or, as my mother-in-law used to say, "You can learn as much from a bad example, as you can from a good example."  The shrewd manager has no desire to work and he has too much pride to beg.  What he does have going for him is his understanding of human nature.  He knows everyone loves a bargain.  Notice, the boss doesn't commend the shrewd manager for stealing from him.  No, the boss is commending the manager for the shrewdness he shows in knowing how to make his way in the world after being fired.  After all, the manager has already been fired.  Another thing that comes to mind is the quickness of the manager's mind.  Obviously, there wasn't a lot of time for the shrewd manager to think about what he was going to do to survive after losing his job.  He came up with this plan on the fly.  This is one smart cookie.

What does this story have to do with us (followers of Jesus)?  The first thing that came to my mind (because I'm still a bit self-centered) was how I steal from my boss and what Jesus must think of it.  Yes, I steal from my boss, too.  I've mentioned, here, that I write my blog while I'm at work.  Sometime that makes me feel as if I get paid for blogging.  In reality, this is stealing.  However, many times I blog about what I've learned in my bible study or about forgiveness or about gratitude and I have readers who are seekers of the truth regarding Jesus and the bible.  Which is the greater good (or lesser evil), stealing time (but still getting my work done) or sharing God's truth?  After all, "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," Romans 3:23.  Maybe you think I'm trying to justify my actions.  I'm not, I'm trying to understand the parable and put it in today's world.  Another thing that came to my mind while studying this passage was the quote by Oliver Wendell Holmes, "Some people are so heavenly minded that they are no earthly good."  Maybe Jesus is pointing our the shrewd manager's understanding of human nature and  the church's lack of willingness to try to understand the people, but focus only on the LAW.  Jesus was all about meeting people where they were.  One of his giant pet peeves was the hypocrisy of the Pharisees.  They weren't able to get on board with Jesus and his point of view.

In regard to the quickness of the shrewd manager's mind, I think, Jesus may be reminding his disciples that his time with them is short and they need to listen closely and learn quickly.  Or maybe, Jesus is telling us that our time on earth is short and we must make the most of the opportunities to share the good news with others while we still have a chance.

I'm probably not helping you understand this parable, so I'll remind you of its context.  This story of the shrewd manager is grouped with three other parables:  The first is the Parable of the Lost Sheep (Luke 15:3-7), the second is the Parable of the Lost Coin (Luke 15:8-10), and the third is the Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32).  The Parable of the Shrewd Manager comes last in this series.  In all these parables Jesus is talking about the value God places on people over things.  He knew the Pharisees were listening to him and looking to stop him from teaching.  His beef with the Pharisees was that they had lost their perspective and were more interested in the money and politics of their position and no longer focused on their relationship with the people and the people's relationship with their God.  He reminds the Pharisees (and us) in Luke 16:13, "No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money." 

I hope I didn't make this parable more confusing than it already is, although, I'm not sure that would be possible. 

346.  Hot weather is really here now
347.  Relaxing weekends and trying not to feel too guilty about not getting anything accomplished
348.  Willingness to part with the Lladro nativity set that I wanted so bad, but feels like "stuff"
349.  The desire God gives me to want to understand people so different from me
350.  Having God between me and my circumstances instead of having my circumstances between me and God

There is no road to happiness

People take different roads seeking happiness. Just because they're not on your road doesn't mean they're lost. ~H. Jackson Browne

I saw this quote on my twitter feed this morning.  It made me think.  Our forefathers new enough to know the pursuit of happiness was an important endeavor for every person.  They believed it was so important they said it was an unalienable right in the Declaration of Independence.  Maybe it's my ISTJ (you know me, I'm all about what you do, not what you feel) personality, but Mr. Browne's quote is a tough one for me to swallow.

I might have an easier time swallowing it if the definition of happiness was a bit clearer.  I know what happiness is not.  Happiness is not pleasure.  Pleasure comes and goes.  It can slip through your fingers and fade from memory.  I know of women seeking to recreate the pleasure of the initial flutterings of love and attraction.  They don't understand where this feeling goes after 2 or 3 years of marriage and a child or two.  They look for it outside their marriage.  Only to discover they cannot hold on to the feelings.  Those feelings are not happiness.

I've heard it said that happiness itself is not a destination, but a journey.  This has to be true.  How else can we explain the finding of happiness in a job well done and finding happiness in leisure time?  Our forefathers were so wise in calling the inalienable right a pursuit of happiness and not happiness, itself.

The problem I have with Browne's quote is that people often are on the wrong road to (what they believe is) happiness and they are lost.  I've seen so many people spending themselves into unfathomable debt in their pursuit of happiness.  I don't think they found the happiness they were hoping to find.  Instead, they find themselves trapped in debt.  Not a happy situation.  I've seen people sink into addiction thinking happiness was drinking or drugging themselves away from their problems, only to find themselves trapped in their addiction.  I've seen people attempt to find happiness by moving and leaving all they have and all they know, to find happiness - out there, only to find themselves lost and lonely.  There is no happiness in these situations.

The bible tells us in Ecclesiastes 3:12, I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live and in Ecclesiastes 7:14 When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other.  (I think it should say, be happy in the other, as well)

There is no road to happiness.  You cannot travel to happiness.  You have happiness in you all the time.  Happiness is not a mood, ...it's a Decision.

I'm linking with Em at Imperfect Prose on Thursdays.

332.  Knowing I can decide to be happy
333.  MBTI information and knowing I'm ok, just the way I am
334.  MBTI information and knowing there are just some people I will never understand
335.  Being fascinated by those MBTI types I don't understand
336.  The feeling of anticipation as you near the end of a wonderful story
337.  The feeling of satisfaction as I am confirmed in my prediction of how the story ends
338.  Co-workers with generous hearts

It's better to forgive

Last night my small group bible study focused on "The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant" from Matthew 18:21-35."

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”

Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times."

“Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.  As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him.  Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. 

At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’  

The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. 

But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins.  He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded. 

His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’ 

But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 

When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.

Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to.  Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’  In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. 

This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.” 

I'm going to cut straight to the chase regarding the bottom line of this parable.  Forgive others as you have been forgiven.  The unmerciful servant was forgive an extraordinary amount of money.  He would never have been able to repay his master.  The forgiveness the master gave this servant was remarkable and extremely generous.  Then the unmerciful servant came upon a servant that owed him a small amount of money and demanded repayment and withheld forgiveness.  This lack of forgiveness in the unmerciful servant is appalling to the other servants, as it should be.  The gall of this unmerciful servant is appalling and nobody feels bad for him when he is thrown in jail and tortured.

Forgiveness, we decided, is a process.  There is nothing in this story that indicates forgiveness has to happen immediately.  There are times when the injury is so great that time is needed before forgiveness can be considered.  Forgiveness is not a passive endeavor.  In fact, forgiveness is a very active process and shows great love and compassion to others. 

We also came to the conclusion that forgiveness is heals the forgiver even more than the forgiven.  Forgiving relieves us from pain and bitterness.  It's been said that not forgiving is like drinking rat poison and waiting for the rat to die.  Not gonna happen.

Forgiveness does not remove accountability.  You can have both, forgiveness and accountability.  Also, forgiving someone does not mean you are saying their actions were acceptable.  Actions have consequences and forgiveness does not remove those consequences.

There is more to forgiveness than just saying, "I forgive you."  Forgiveness is a heart thing.  Forgiveness is the removal of the desire for vengeance.  We came to the conclusion that forgiveness can uplift people.  It not only uplifts the forgiver and the forgiven, but it can bring light and joy into the world and uplift witnesses of the act of forgiveness.  In the parable we see how the actions of the unmerciful servant were appalling to the servants witnessing the forgiveness.  Inversely, we see the impact of the forgiveness shown by the Amish community in Nickel, PA after the murder of the schoolgirls in 2006.  There were newspaper articles and segments on forgiveness on network magazine shows and books written.  This act of forgiveness was nationwide news.

So why is it so hard to forgive?  We all know of ongoing feuds and distance between family members caused by unforgiveness.  Sometimes, when asked, the parties involved in these situations may not even remember what caused the rift, but they are not going to be the one doing the forgiving.  Forgiveness is only hard when we take it out of the perspective of forgiving as we have been forgiven by God.  When we are alone and without the support of the community of believers, it is much more difficult to forgive.  (I'm not saying the only people that can forgive are believers because forgiveness is for all people)  A community of faith in Jesus Christ and belief in God can keep our perspective right and remind us of how much we have been forgiven.  (Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates his love for us in this:  While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.)

306.  Studying God's word with broken, but forgiven people
307.  God's forgiveness
308.  Learning from my group and having examples of those much more mature in their faith than I am
309.  Hearing the truth and having the Holy Spirit living in me, confirm that it is truth
310.  Having the rift between my brother and father prayed for, daily, by Godly men and women
311.  Seeing the hearts of both these men begin to soften

I am linking with Shanda at On Your Heart Tuesdays

God's precious truth

Truth is precious.  I think of truth like a diamond.  Truth, like a diamond, is beautiful in itself.  A diamond is the hardest natural substance known to man.  It cannot be crushed.  Other stones can be crushed into sand and powder, but a diamond remains undamaged.  Truth can be assaulted with falsehoods and false doctrines and remain standing without contrived explanations.

Nothing can be added to a diamond to improve its quality.  A diamond is what it is, as is truth.  Nothing can be added to truth to improve it.  In fact, exaggeration of truth alters it from truth to a lie.  Nothing can be added to a diamond to improve it.  We can alter the diamond by cutting away bits of it to produce facets.  The diamond is not altered by this chipping away.  It remains a diamond.  But now we have a facet to catch the light and make the diamond shine.  We think we have improved the diamond.  We've made the diamond a shiny thing.  Now the diamond can be liked by more people and is more desirable to the eye.  We do this with truth, as well.  We chip away bits of the truth to make it more appealing to more people.  Yes, it is still truth, but now we have changed it to become a faceted truth.  When a diamond is cut and facets are formed, we don't see the diamond as well as we see the light reflecting off the facet.  Just as a diamond, in it's natural state, is not as appealing to the eye as a cut diamond, truth in it's purest form, God's truth, can be hard to take and very hard to understand.

Finding diamonds, just like finding truth, is a difficult task.  Diamonds are hidden deep in the earth.  You need to know where to dig to find the diamond.  Truths are something we seek.  We need to learn where to look for it.  We need to dig deep to find truth.  If truths, like diamonds were lying around, everyone would find them.  Searching for truth, like searching for diamonds can be a frustrating task and not every seeker is rewarded.  Some may seek their entire lives and come up empty.  They may think they are seeking in the right place, but they've wasted their time and efforts by looking where there is nothing to be found.

Not everyone can obtain a diamond.  They are available to all, but they are costly.  Not every person who wishes to have a diamond will get one.  Some will find imitations and be content and stop seeking the real thing.  Truth is available to all, but it is costly.  We have to give up our ideas of what we wish would be.  We have to give up our worldly desires.  We have to become humble and remember we are dust.  Our reward is the acceptance of truth.  We cannot be content with a falsehood and say it is truth.  We cannot be convinced that if we name it truth, this makes it so.  A diamond, in it's uncut state, may not look like what you think a diamond ought to look like.  Even though it doesn't look like what you think a diamond should look like, it is still a diamond.  It is still a valuable diamond.  Truth may not always look the way you think it should look, but authentic truth is incredibly valuable to have.  Authentic truth, like authentic diamonds, are verifiable.  We don't have to decide for ourselves, truth, like diamonds, will pass the test. 

Jesus, as he was preparing his disciples for his departure from this world prays to God in John 17:13-19, “I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them.  I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world.  My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.  They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.  Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.  As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.  For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified."

Seek truth.  Look into God's word.  Ask God to reveal his truth to you.  Don't allow the evil one to cloud your vision and allow you to be satisfied with lies.  Seek truth and when you find truth, treasure it and hold it dear, as you would a diamond.

275.  Settling back into the old routine
276.  Preparing for summer
277.  Anticipation of a holiday weekend
278.  A backyard cleared of downed trees
279.  Giant shade trees (but not by my house)

I'm linking with Emily at Imperfect Prose on Thursdays

You must choose a side of the road

Last night our small group bible study worked on the parable of "The Good Samaritan" from Luke 10:25-37.

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 

 “What is written in the Law?” Jesus replied. “How do you read it?”

He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.” 

But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead.  A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side.  So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.  But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.  He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him.  The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ 

“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

This story challenges us to decide "which side of the road" we will choose.  I'll start with a few definitions to, possibly, clarify this story.  First the priest in this story is considered a direct descendant of Aaron, Moses brother, who as made a priest by God, as well as all his direct descendants.  Secondly, the Levite was a member of the tribe of Levi and were the readers of the Torah and caretakers of the Synagogue.  They were not allowed to own land and were cared for through tithes of the Israelites.  Lastly, the Samaritan is a member of race closely related to the Jews, but hated by the Jews because they inbred with pagans and worshiped pagan gods as well as the Hebrew G-d.  The verses do not say who the man attacked by robbers was, but I'm going to assume he was a Jew.

The crux of this story has to with the choice each traveler made as they came upon the injured man on the road.  The fact that the traveler choosing the injured man's side of the road in this story is a man from a group that has a deep cultural distrust of the group the injured man is a member of is the critical point of this story.

I had a very difficult time with this lesson.  In fact, I'm pretty sure I offended two members of the group, but I'm not completely sure.  I feel I am a generous person, but I'm not a very "hands on" person.  I'm an introvert and shy.  I told you in the "100 things about me" that I startle easily.  We talked about the homeless and indigent begging on the streets and asking for a handout.  I'm not good with this.  I'm afraid of them.  We talked about charities that have been accused and proven to have mishandled funds.  We talked about the outpouring of benevolence and charity after 9/11 and Katrina and then..., nothing.

Am I a "good Samaritan" if I am a constant giver to the specific charities I support?  I support Care Net pregnancy care centers.  I give to the church I attend, intermittently.  I gave to Samaritan's purse at Christmas.  Our small group adopted a family last Christmas.  Because I've never seen or spoken to the recipients of my giving, am I less than a "good Samaritan?"  And now that I've shared my giving, have I gone against the verse in Matthew 6:3 "But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing."  All these rules and boundaries about the righteous way to give.  Does it mean giving money is less noble than working in a soup kitchen?  Does is mean that buying Christmas gifts is less righteous than working in a prison ministry?  Does it mean that giving to a pregnancy center is less benevolent than passing out tracts on street corners and telling people that Jesus saves?  I say giving is giving.  I say, God loves a cheerful giver.  The verse from 2 Corinthians 9:7, "Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver," wasn't even in the lesson last night.

We talked about taking money out of the equation of being a good Samaritan.  We talked about being the encourager.  We talked about sharing the gospel.  We talked about being an influence for positivity at work.  These are the very things I struggle with.  Is this why there are both, the money and the hands on aspect in the good Samaritan story?

I've been told my bluntness, even about good things is "jaw dropping."  I've been told I'm not warm or fuzzy.  And, last night, I felt the cold shoulder of believers with more feeling in their MBTI.  This is where my struggles so often seem to be.  Can an introverted, thinker/judger be a good Samaritan? 

I think Jesus shared both, the pouring of oil and wine on the wounds and the giving of denarii to the innkeeper in this story.  Both are ways to be the good Samaritan to the needy.  I know which side of the road I would choose.

270.  Being encouraged to exercise my body
271.  A dentist that is truly painless
272.  Being able to talk to my mom on the phone, every day
273.  Godly people praying for reconciliation for my dad and my brother
274.  Seeing the joy in the face of a co-worker that is about to retire

Linking to Shanda at On Your Heart Tuesdays

There are blessings in the rain

It can rain when you are on vacation.  Just because you dream of sunny days on the beach doesn't mean it won't rain one day.

Matthew 5:45b even says "God causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous."  When Jesus speaks to those listening to his sermon on the mount, he is speaking of rain as a blessing.  God can bless whomever he chooses to bless, the righteous or the unrighteous.  If you've read my posts here and here, you'll remember I've mentioned that God isn't fair, he's good.  Rain is considered a blessing.  We shower soon to be brides and mothers with gifts.  Blessing rain down on individuals.  And it can rain pennies from heaven.  
  
In the verses surrounding this verse Jesus reminds us we have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’  But Jesus tells us, if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek.  And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles.  Jesus goes even further and reminds us we have been told to love our neighbors and hate our enemies, but he wants us to love our enemies and pray for those that persecute you.  I hear Jesus saying, "it's all about love."

It rained on my vacation today.  Today's rain reminded me of these verses.  Today's rain reminded me about love.  Yesterday was a very sunny day.  I spent the entire day on the beach and playing in the pool and reading my book in the sun.  I've been playing in the sun for 10 days.  I am adept at using the suntan lotion by now.  You'd think by now, I'd know how to avoid a sunburn.  You'd be wrong.  Evidently I missed a couple spots on my left shoulder yesterday.  This carelessness in suntan lotion application has resulted in a bit of pain.  (yeah, I can hear you all loud and clear.  boo hoo hoo)  Today I would have been forced to avoid the sun.  Instead, God sent the rain.

Storm clouds rolling toward our part of the beach

There was thunder and lightening and the temperature dropped 15 degrees in ten minutes.  I thought of this storm as a gift to me.  Sweet relief for my sunburned left shoulder.  I wouldn't end up being the Debbie Downer drawing attention to myself and my pain.  I wouldn't have to remind myself of the careless (read cavalier) way I applied the suntan lotion.  I could sit, transfixed, on the balcony of my hotel room and watch the storm roll in.  So I did.  I reveled in the booming thunder and flashing lightening.  I ran inside when the rain shooed me off the balcony.  And then, this...

This rainbow dominated the horizon.  If the storm at just the right time wasn't enough to remind me of the goodness of God, this was.

The symbol of God's promise to Noah

Linking with Emily at Imperfect Prose on Thursdays
 
246.  Aloe vera gel
247.  Rainbows
248.  God's word imprinted in my memory
249.  Rain
250.  Balconies facing the ocean
251.  A day of rest (from the sun)  

The unfairness of God's grace and love

Luke 15:11-32  The Parable of the Lost Son

Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.

“Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

“When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ So he got up and went to his father.

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

“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate. 

“Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’

“The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’

“‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”

Last night's small group bible study lesson was on this story Jesus told about the Prodigal Son.  This is such a lousy name for this story.  I think this story should be called the Father's Great Love, but nobody asked me.

There are three main characters in this story.  There is the younger son, the father, and the older son.  The story begins with the younger son asking for his inheritance, leaving home, and spending the money as fast as he possibly can.  We don't know anything more about this kid.  We don't know why he wants to leave.  We can only guess.  I'm guessing he was thinking he could do better than his father and he wasn't too happy living under his father's authority.  The economy takes a turn after junior has spent all his money and now he's slopping pigs and so hungry the pig slop is looking quite delicious to him.

Long story short, the kid comes home with his tail between his legs, the father welcomes him and throws a party and this annoys the older son.  First of all, it doesn't appear he was even invited to the party.  It appears he is out WORKING and he hears the party going on inside the house.  The father begs this older son to come in a join the party.  He wants him to be happy junior is home after however long it's been.  Older son isn't having any of it.  In fact, he begins to complain that he never even got to have a party with his friends.  (this may have been the reason junior left)  The father again reminds the older son to be happy junior is home and reminds him he has been living with his inheritance this whole time and it is still intact.

My group understood the obvious forgiveness the father had for the younger son.  However, we had a more difficult time with the relationship with the father and the older son.  Again, we came up against the unfairness of God.  God just does what he wants to do when he wants to do it.  We batted this story around with all our humanness and matched it up with our own parental and sibling relationships.  It's amazing how fair parents try to be and how unfair parental love is perceived by their children.  I know this is true for me.

I am currently in a fairly tense time with my dad.  My dad and my brother have been in a fight for the past three years.  It's stupid.  I can't even get into all the stupid involved in this fight.  But let's just get this out in the open.  It's about money.  What else, right?  Anyway, the most recent level of stupid has come from my father and his belief that I am on my brother's side against him.  This, of course, is not true.  I'm on my side.  I'm the only one I'll side with in any situation like this.  I'm not getting down in the mud with any of them.  There you are.  This is my idea of what a father is and does and this is what I bring to the understanding of this story.  Obviously I'll never see the point of this story using my dad as the father figure.

Back to what I said earlier, this story is definitely misnamed.  This story is all about the father's love and how HUGE it is.  It's so big it can handle being thrown away by the younger son.  It's so big it can handle being minimized by the older son.  God's love wants all to be encompassed in it.  God wants for all to be reconciled to him.

The younger son is like the lost sheep that is searched for and found and brought back into the flock, like it says in Luke 15:3-7.  What verses can we use for the older son?  This son that feels as if there isn't enough of his father's love for him, even though he's stayed near his father his whole life.  Even though he's worked in the fields for his father.  What verse can we use when we feel the love we are getting from God isn't enough or it's been pulled away from us and we a feeling taken for granted, or worse, punished.  Maybe we can use these verses from Romans 8:35-39.  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?  Shall trouble or hardship or persecution of famine or nakedness or danger or sword?  As it is written:  "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."  No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

203.  Once I belong to God, nothing can take me from him
204.  My small group bible study and the love they give me
205.  God's word reminding me how BIG God's love is
206.  Reminded that I don't have to be a wild child to prove God loves me
207.  Coffee (I just don't think I can say thank you enough for the coffee)

Linking with Soli Deo Gloria