There is a condition that can develop when an individual has exercised so much that his or her muscles become rigid. The muscles are hindered because of inflexibility and cannot function. This person may look absolutely wonderful with a full six-pack and well defined biceps and triceps, but they are useless. This condition is known as being muscle-bound.
Christians or even a church can become bound with much knowledge of the Bible or church polity and become rigid or inflexible and utterly useless. Knowledge not put into practice will bind you to maybe looking good but useless. It is a good thing to exercise in order to have strength to use your muscles when needed, but be careful to not over do it. Using your muscles is better than looking good.
Jesus told his disciples to keep His commandments in John 30:21, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." First off you have to know His commandments in order to keep them and they are found in the Bible. Reading that is a requirement to knowing and the keep stated here is not to just keep them in your head, but keep them, observe them, do them.
We are not to hoard them in our minds. We are to put them into practice. We may not become muscle-bound, but we sure will become like the Dead Sea which has living water flowing into it but no outlet. There is so much concentrated chemicals in the water of the Dead Sea that nothing can live in it. It is useless water.
We were put on this earth to benefit others and not to just build ourselves up. We are to be a conduit of God's grace. Jesus also said, "He that believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water,'" We are to give every which way possible - it could be a word of encouragement or a ten-spot or a shoulder or a verse or an invitation to dinner. Giving is better than receiving or keeping.
Tuesday, July 23, 2019
Wednesday, July 17, 2019
#Marriage
The two shall become one is the short definition of marriage. But, it is asked, which one? Neither one or the other is the right answer, but a new one is made in the uniting of two single individuals. God topped off His creation with woman and gave her to man to be his help-meet. The word help-mate has been flung around for years and, in a way, it is a truth, although the original word is help-meet. That word means that she is equal to him. She is his equal. She may not be as tall as he is or as strong or even as smart, yet, she is his equal. He may not be as tall, or as strong or as smart as she is but they are equals.
God puts strengths together with weaknesses and the union is as complete as can be. They have different roles. He was given headship over this unit. He is told to love his wife as Christ loves His church and she is told to submit to him. Where he is strong, she submits. Where she is strong, he submits. Where strengths are pretty much equal, she submits in attitude and they work it out submitting to one another
Their concern should be for the best for the unit and both need to work for the success of the new "one" thing. She may have the best job and earn more than he could and they decide to help her succeed and he might do some homemaking in order for that to happen. He could well have the best job and she should be willing to be more of a homemaker for the success of his job.
When I was a child, I witnessed a scene that is etched in my memory. My dad brought home a complete outfit for my mother. I don't know why he did that. Maybe there had been an argument and he was making-up. I don't know, but he laid out his purchases on their bed. There was a navy dress and stockings and gloves and shoes and a purse. He was quite proud of his gift. My mother looked at the array and immediately lost her cool. She berated him and belittled him and told him to take it all back. My heart was crushed for my dad. I could not bear how she hurt him. She may have had good reasons, like not being able to afford this luxury. I do not know. I only know that that scene made me aware of how a husband can be hurt by lack of respect.
A man needs respect. A woman needs love. Each are made to give the other exactly what they need.
Those vows in a wedding ceremony are asked of each one and the answer is always, "I do." Each one vows "till death do us part". It would be great if more who say "I do", actually "DID".
God puts strengths together with weaknesses and the union is as complete as can be. They have different roles. He was given headship over this unit. He is told to love his wife as Christ loves His church and she is told to submit to him. Where he is strong, she submits. Where she is strong, he submits. Where strengths are pretty much equal, she submits in attitude and they work it out submitting to one another
Their concern should be for the best for the unit and both need to work for the success of the new "one" thing. She may have the best job and earn more than he could and they decide to help her succeed and he might do some homemaking in order for that to happen. He could well have the best job and she should be willing to be more of a homemaker for the success of his job.
When I was a child, I witnessed a scene that is etched in my memory. My dad brought home a complete outfit for my mother. I don't know why he did that. Maybe there had been an argument and he was making-up. I don't know, but he laid out his purchases on their bed. There was a navy dress and stockings and gloves and shoes and a purse. He was quite proud of his gift. My mother looked at the array and immediately lost her cool. She berated him and belittled him and told him to take it all back. My heart was crushed for my dad. I could not bear how she hurt him. She may have had good reasons, like not being able to afford this luxury. I do not know. I only know that that scene made me aware of how a husband can be hurt by lack of respect.
A man needs respect. A woman needs love. Each are made to give the other exactly what they need.
Those vows in a wedding ceremony are asked of each one and the answer is always, "I do." Each one vows "till death do us part". It would be great if more who say "I do", actually "DID".
Tuesday, July 9, 2019
TheTightRopeWalk
The tight rope was hooked to big tree at one end and stretched across a large open space and attached to a large tree on the other side. The tight rope walker was ready, wearing slippers with leather soles to give him the benefit of using his toes to hug the rope. He held an umbrella in one hand as he stepped up on the rope. It was a heavy rope, maybe three inches in diameter and tightly hung. He took one small step, got his balance and moved the other foot gingerly ahead for a second step. The umbrella was held off to his side and it was almost automatic as he adjusted to maintain his balance keeping his eyes on the end of the rope some distance away.
There were dangers ahead. What if a gust of wind came? What if there were distractions, like a bird flying by or a beautiful scene coming into view? It took determination to keep his eyes focused on the end and to cautiously move one foot ahead of the other. His life was at stake.
If you can compare the rope to faith and consider where you stake your faith, you would carefully look at the trees opposite the wide expanse called life. There are many trees in the distance, the tree of wealth, or success, good works or positive thinking. But, you have read a book about trees and can distinguish flimsy from strong, fake from real and you keep looking till you see the tree on which Jesus hangs. That is the tree you know will hold your rope of faith and you sling your rope over to Him.
Then begins the walk of faith. The umbrella is called 'grace' and it provides you with balance and you are confident that 'grace' will see you across to the other side. There are dangers on the way over this chasm and care should be taken with each step. The secret is keeping your eyes focused on the destination for your body will follow your eyes. The lure of the world is inconsequential to you, now, because it can cause you to stumble. Once you stepped on that tight rope you were committed.
There are many options on the horizon that offer guarantees for happiness and fulfillment, but there is only one that is true. Jesus called Himself 'The Way, The Truth and The Life and said emphatically that He was THE ONLY WAY to the Father. If you haven't flung your faith rope over to Him, you are losing out on The Way, The Truth and The Life. We each have a rope. We each will hang our rope on something. Just make sure you pick the right something for your eternal life is at stake.
There were dangers ahead. What if a gust of wind came? What if there were distractions, like a bird flying by or a beautiful scene coming into view? It took determination to keep his eyes focused on the end and to cautiously move one foot ahead of the other. His life was at stake.
If you can compare the rope to faith and consider where you stake your faith, you would carefully look at the trees opposite the wide expanse called life. There are many trees in the distance, the tree of wealth, or success, good works or positive thinking. But, you have read a book about trees and can distinguish flimsy from strong, fake from real and you keep looking till you see the tree on which Jesus hangs. That is the tree you know will hold your rope of faith and you sling your rope over to Him.
Then begins the walk of faith. The umbrella is called 'grace' and it provides you with balance and you are confident that 'grace' will see you across to the other side. There are dangers on the way over this chasm and care should be taken with each step. The secret is keeping your eyes focused on the destination for your body will follow your eyes. The lure of the world is inconsequential to you, now, because it can cause you to stumble. Once you stepped on that tight rope you were committed.
There are many options on the horizon that offer guarantees for happiness and fulfillment, but there is only one that is true. Jesus called Himself 'The Way, The Truth and The Life and said emphatically that He was THE ONLY WAY to the Father. If you haven't flung your faith rope over to Him, you are losing out on The Way, The Truth and The Life. We each have a rope. We each will hang our rope on something. Just make sure you pick the right something for your eternal life is at stake.
Monday, July 1, 2019
#Robots
In the ten years we spent cleaning the bank branch, the job became routine most of the time. The contract listed chores that had to be done every night. Unless there was lots of snow which left so much ice-melt on the floors or heavy rains that left muddy foot prints all over, we were able to work with our minds planning tomorrow or thinking about family far away. There were times when my son would say in a halting way, "I-am-a-robot." Our hands were working as if programmed, moving from one task to the next.
There are times in our life when being a robot is the best way to survive. We can put one foot ahead of the other and just keep moving without giving too much thought to the next step. Sometimes we have to do that.
When you realize how much time is spent just waiting, waiting at the stop-and-go lights, waiting for the toaster to pop-up, waiting for a loved one to get home, you realize that twiddling your thumbs is not the answer to accomplishing anything. You can do other stuff while you wait. You can pray while sitting in the car. You can wash the few dishes in the sink while waiting on the toast. You can read that article you didn't have time for as you wait for headlights. You can kill two birds with one stone.
You are in good company in the waiting room. Joseph waited thirteen years in prison on a false rape charge before he was promoted to second in command of Egypt. He gained a good reputation while in jail by taking care of details, a daily to-do list that impressed his jailer. Moses wound up in the wilderness after running from Pharaoh and tended sheep for forty years until God gave him a big to-do list. The disciples waited in the upper room for up to fifty days before the promised comforter came.
Even God waits. He waited until the right time to send His Son, Jesus, into the world. He waits for you and me to come to our senses and realize our need. He waits for the last one to take Jesus as their Savior before He sends judgment on the whole world.
We may have answers to prayers that we are waiting on. Be the best robot you can be, one step and another step in the day to day life and keep waiting on God. Don't give up on God. God hasn't given up on you! Joseph entered prison as a teenager and left those bars behind as a man, prepared. Moses grew up in a palace and was humbled tending sheep for forty years, prepared to lead millions of people out of slavery. God is working on you and you will be prepared when the answers come.
There are times in our life when being a robot is the best way to survive. We can put one foot ahead of the other and just keep moving without giving too much thought to the next step. Sometimes we have to do that.
When you realize how much time is spent just waiting, waiting at the stop-and-go lights, waiting for the toaster to pop-up, waiting for a loved one to get home, you realize that twiddling your thumbs is not the answer to accomplishing anything. You can do other stuff while you wait. You can pray while sitting in the car. You can wash the few dishes in the sink while waiting on the toast. You can read that article you didn't have time for as you wait for headlights. You can kill two birds with one stone.
You are in good company in the waiting room. Joseph waited thirteen years in prison on a false rape charge before he was promoted to second in command of Egypt. He gained a good reputation while in jail by taking care of details, a daily to-do list that impressed his jailer. Moses wound up in the wilderness after running from Pharaoh and tended sheep for forty years until God gave him a big to-do list. The disciples waited in the upper room for up to fifty days before the promised comforter came.
Even God waits. He waited until the right time to send His Son, Jesus, into the world. He waits for you and me to come to our senses and realize our need. He waits for the last one to take Jesus as their Savior before He sends judgment on the whole world.
We may have answers to prayers that we are waiting on. Be the best robot you can be, one step and another step in the day to day life and keep waiting on God. Don't give up on God. God hasn't given up on you! Joseph entered prison as a teenager and left those bars behind as a man, prepared. Moses grew up in a palace and was humbled tending sheep for forty years, prepared to lead millions of people out of slavery. God is working on you and you will be prepared when the answers come.
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