Christ's Commandments
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Continued From #139
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194) Eph 5:25a . . Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the
church
The verb is past tense; as if Christ loved the church at one time but no
more. But the reference is to his crucifixion, and that is one thing he is never
going to repeat. Christ gave that love to the church when the church was in
no condition to reciprocate.
†. Rom 5:8 . . God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we
were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
†. 1John 4:10 . .This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us
and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
This particular kind of love isn't limited to marriage.
†. 1John 4:11 . . Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one
another.
I suspect that the kind of love we're talking about here isn't the emotion of
fondness; but the emotion of pity. For example: if I insert pity into the
passage below; it makes better sense.
†. John 3:16-17 . . For God so pitied the world that He donated His one and
only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
For God did not send His son into the world to condemn the world, but to
rescue the world through him.
I'm not suggesting that guys marry girls out of pity. Not many girls would
find that kind of an arrangement satisfactory; but rather, quite
unacceptable. But emotions like pity, sympathy, and compassion go a long
ways towards contributing peace and contentment to a woman's happiness.
There are just too many insensitive husbands out there injuring their wives
with fault finding, lashing out, yelling, rejoinders, humiliating treatment,
recriminations, thoughtless remarks, ugly comments, inconsideration,
sarcasm, and embarrassing conduct.
195) Eph 5:25b-33a . . He gave himself up for the church to make her holy,
cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present
her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other
blemish, but holy and blameless.
. . . In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own
bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated his
own body, but he nourishes and cares for it, just as Christ does the church—
for we are members of his body.
. . . For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to
his wife, and the two will become one flesh. This is a profound mystery— but
I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you also
must love his wife as he loves himself
You know, Christ isn't requiring husband to do anything new, unusual,
strange and/or unique. These principles all came out in his sermon on the
mount; a sermon that we all know and love but very few care enough about
to practice.
NOTE: There are girls who love a guy so bad that they're willing to suffer
poverty and privation to get him. But no Spirit-filled man would ever
willingly subject his best girl to those conditions.
When Abraham's servant went bride-shopping for Isaac (Gen 24) he
presented enough of his master's wealth to Rebecca's family to assure them
she would be well taken care of prior to asking them to release her. That to
me is a good example of how a Spirit-filled man seeks a bride. Knowingly
dragging a girl into poverty is not my idea of a good testimony of one's
faithfulness to Christ's wishes.
Ironically, even secular men are sensitive about providing for their wives; so
what Paul is commanding is not an unreasonable thing. Normal men don't
have to be told to do this; and I think it is very sad when a Christian man
has to be told.
†. 1Tim 5:8 . . If any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his
own house, he has contradicted the faith, and is worse than an infidel.
A Spirit-filled husband exemplifies the very same characteristics as a Spirit
filled wife; viz: he's righteous, gracious, cordial, affable, genial, sociable,
generous, charitable, altruistic, tactful, sensitive, approachable,
sympathetic; and above all, reasonable and rational rather than emotional
and reactive. How can any woman not respect a man like that? Only a
swine-ish woman would despise a man like that; and there are many that
do.
I should add that a Spirit-filled husband doesn't love his wife because she
deserves it; nor because she's earned it; nor because Christ says he has to.
No; he loves her because she's his wife: it's as simple as that. Some things
don't need an explanation: they just are what they are.
196) Eph 5:33b . . and the wife must respect her husband.
Let me tell you something, when a Spirit-filled husband is conscientiously
complying with all of the above, then his Spirit-filled wife will have no
problem respecting him. However, even when he's an insensitive clod; she
will still respect him not because he deserves it; nor because he's earned it;
nor because Christ says she has to. No; she will respect him first because
he's her fellow man; and second because he's her husband: it's as simple as
that.
I've noticed in my 71+ years on this planet that women who disrespect their
husbands typically don't think much of men to begin with, nor do they think
much of Christ's feelings about marriage. To them; he's a nice enough
figurehead as far as that goes; but they'd just as soon he not meddle in their
affairs; thank you.
I overheard a female caller on radio imperiously announcing to Dr. Laura
that she couldn't respect her husband. So Dr. Laura asked her why. The
caller responded: Because he hasn't earned my respect. So Laura asked the
caller: Have you earned your husband's love? The caller retorted: I don't
have to earn his love. It's a husband's duty to love his wife just as she is. So
Laura pointed out that the caller was practicing a double standard. She
demanded that her husband love her unconditionally, while refusing to
respect him unconditionally. And on top of that; had the despotic chutzpah
to dictate the rules of engagement regardless of how her husband might feel
about it.
That is not the Lord's concept of a Spirit-filled relationship. It doesn't even
exemplify the Beatitudes and/or the Sermon On The Mount let alone the love
Christ exemplified for his church.
==========================
-
194) Eph 5:25a . . Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the
church
The verb is past tense; as if Christ loved the church at one time but no
more. But the reference is to his crucifixion, and that is one thing he is never
going to repeat. Christ gave that love to the church when the church was in
no condition to reciprocate.
†. Rom 5:8 . . God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we
were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
†. 1John 4:10 . .This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us
and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
This particular kind of love isn't limited to marriage.
†. 1John 4:11 . . Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one
another.
I suspect that the kind of love we're talking about here isn't the emotion of
fondness; but the emotion of pity. For example: if I insert pity into the
passage below; it makes better sense.
†. John 3:16-17 . . For God so pitied the world that He donated His one and
only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
For God did not send His son into the world to condemn the world, but to
rescue the world through him.
I'm not suggesting that guys marry girls out of pity. Not many girls would
find that kind of an arrangement satisfactory; but rather, quite
unacceptable. But emotions like pity, sympathy, and compassion go a long
ways towards contributing peace and contentment to a woman's happiness.
There are just too many insensitive husbands out there injuring their wives
with fault finding, lashing out, yelling, rejoinders, humiliating treatment,
recriminations, thoughtless remarks, ugly comments, inconsideration,
sarcasm, and embarrassing conduct.
195) Eph 5:25b-33a . . He gave himself up for the church to make her holy,
cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present
her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other
blemish, but holy and blameless.
. . . In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own
bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated his
own body, but he nourishes and cares for it, just as Christ does the church—
for we are members of his body.
. . . For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to
his wife, and the two will become one flesh. This is a profound mystery— but
I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you also
must love his wife as he loves himself
You know, Christ isn't requiring husband to do anything new, unusual,
strange and/or unique. These principles all came out in his sermon on the
mount; a sermon that we all know and love but very few care enough about
to practice.
NOTE: There are girls who love a guy so bad that they're willing to suffer
poverty and privation to get him. But no Spirit-filled man would ever
willingly subject his best girl to those conditions.
When Abraham's servant went bride-shopping for Isaac (Gen 24) he
presented enough of his master's wealth to Rebecca's family to assure them
she would be well taken care of prior to asking them to release her. That to
me is a good example of how a Spirit-filled man seeks a bride. Knowingly
dragging a girl into poverty is not my idea of a good testimony of one's
faithfulness to Christ's wishes.
Ironically, even secular men are sensitive about providing for their wives; so
what Paul is commanding is not an unreasonable thing. Normal men don't
have to be told to do this; and I think it is very sad when a Christian man
has to be told.
†. 1Tim 5:8 . . If any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his
own house, he has contradicted the faith, and is worse than an infidel.
A Spirit-filled husband exemplifies the very same characteristics as a Spirit
filled wife; viz: he's righteous, gracious, cordial, affable, genial, sociable,
generous, charitable, altruistic, tactful, sensitive, approachable,
sympathetic; and above all, reasonable and rational rather than emotional
and reactive. How can any woman not respect a man like that? Only a
swine-ish woman would despise a man like that; and there are many that
do.
I should add that a Spirit-filled husband doesn't love his wife because she
deserves it; nor because she's earned it; nor because Christ says he has to.
No; he loves her because she's his wife: it's as simple as that. Some things
don't need an explanation: they just are what they are.
196) Eph 5:33b . . and the wife must respect her husband.
Let me tell you something, when a Spirit-filled husband is conscientiously
complying with all of the above, then his Spirit-filled wife will have no
problem respecting him. However, even when he's an insensitive clod; she
will still respect him not because he deserves it; nor because he's earned it;
nor because Christ says she has to. No; she will respect him first because
he's her fellow man; and second because he's her husband: it's as simple as
that.
I've noticed in my 71+ years on this planet that women who disrespect their
husbands typically don't think much of men to begin with, nor do they think
much of Christ's feelings about marriage. To them; he's a nice enough
figurehead as far as that goes; but they'd just as soon he not meddle in their
affairs; thank you.
I overheard a female caller on radio imperiously announcing to Dr. Laura
that she couldn't respect her husband. So Dr. Laura asked her why. The
caller responded: Because he hasn't earned my respect. So Laura asked the
caller: Have you earned your husband's love? The caller retorted: I don't
have to earn his love. It's a husband's duty to love his wife just as she is. So
Laura pointed out that the caller was practicing a double standard. She
demanded that her husband love her unconditionally, while refusing to
respect him unconditionally. And on top of that; had the despotic chutzpah
to dictate the rules of engagement regardless of how her husband might feel
about it.
That is not the Lord's concept of a Spirit-filled relationship. It doesn't even
exemplify the Beatitudes and/or the Sermon On The Mount let alone the love
Christ exemplified for his church.
==========================
Continued From #142
-
197) Eph 6:1 . . Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
The primary reason given for children obeying their parents is simply that
it's the right thing to do.
There's a lot of grown-ups out there who have problems with authority; and
those problems began very early, right in their own homes. They were
demon seeds who refused to accept their parents as superiors; and they
themselves as subordinates.
The parents of that command are "in the Lord" in other words, this
rule doesn't pertain to kids with secular parents; which is a good loop
hole because there may come times for kids to disobey their parents out of
loyalty to a higher power. (cf. Matt 4:10, Matt 10:37)
The koiné Greek word for "obey" in that verse is interesting. It's hupakouo
(hoop-ak-oo'-o) which means to pay attention; viz: to heed; to mind.
Not only is minding one's parents the right thing to do, but minding has its
benefits.
198) Eph 6:2-3 . . Honor your father and mother-- which is the first
commandment with a promise --that it may go well with you and that you
may enjoy long life on the earth.
The "commandment with a promise" is located in the Old Testament.
†. Ex 20:12 . . Honor your father and mother: that your days may be long
upon the land which Yhvh your God gives you.
The koiné Greek word for "honor" in Eph 6:2 is timao (tim-ah'-o) which
means: to prize; viz: to fix a valuation upon; to revere. The very same word
is used at Matt 15:4-6 where Jesus related the fifth commandment to caring
for one's dependent parents.
Incidentally, have you noticed how little respect parents get from their
insolent progeny in modern television sit-coms, Hollywood movies, and
advertising? It's a reflection of modern American culture's attitude towards
doing what's right. Kids today are encouraged to do what's wrong in their
homes instead of doing what's right. Modern entertainment trains children
how to be demonic instead of divine.
Kids that mind and respect their parents are usually much the happier for it.
The ones that fight with their parents typically end up living in a home from
hell; and though they may live long and prosper, life will not go well with
them, nor will they enjoy it as they might have.
As kids get older, especially here in tech-savvy America, they tend to regard
their parents as dunces. That is a fatal error. The Lord's kids have got to be
on guard against that attitude; not only because it's wrong, but also because
it hurts parents deeply to be treated as morons by their own flesh and blood.
Impudent children just won't understand how deeply it hurts until they
become parents themselves; but by that time; it's too late and the damage
wrought is permanent.
FYI: Webster's defines "impudent" as: marked by contemptuous or cocky
boldness or disregard of others; viz: insolent. In other words: an impudent
child is a sociopath.
Let me caution the Lord's kids about something. The one thing you don't
want to do in this life is accumulate an archive of regrets because as sure as
you're reading this line, those regrets will haunt you in later years and rob
you of peace of mind; and one of those ugly little robbers is cruelty. Never
be cruel to your "in the Lord" parents. It will cost you. Here's a brief list of
cruelties to avoid:
Thoughtless remarks, demeaning comments, ridicule, sarcasm, sneering,
scorn, wiseacre retorts, toxic rejoinders, mockery, fault finding, and name
calling. Consider those a starter kit.
BTW: regardless of a believer's age-- whether a child or an adult --it is
required that they love their "in the Lord" parents, not as themselves, but as
Christ loves them (John 15:12). Why? Because a believing child's believing
parents are fellow lambs and siblings in Christ's sheepfold; that's why. So
then, Christ's directive to love the other lambs as he himself loves them
applies to one's "in the Lord" parents too.
Q: If a Jewish child accepted Christ as the Messiah, against the wishes of his
Jewish parents, wouldn't that be breaking of the fifth commandment?
A: I seriously doubt the fifth commandment was intended to prevent one's
children from making their own decisions. If it did, then where would it end?
Would it grant a domineering Jewish mother carte blanch to dictate every
facet of her offspring's life including their spouse, their career, their clothing,
their friends, the city they live in, the food they eat, their vote, their political
party, the length of their hair, even how they raise their own kids? In short,
a carte blanch interpretation of that commandment would rob one's progeny
of not only their individuality; but also their own personal responsibility.
Q: You really don't think it's disrespectful for a Jewish child to reject their
parents' religion?
A: No, that would be disrespect for the parents' religion, not disrespect for
the parents. To my knowledge there are no divine commandments requiring
children to either accept or adopt their parents' core values.
One's attitude towards their parents and how they treat them is the issue.
How anyone can come to the conclusion the fifth commandment somehow
grants parents the powers of tyranny, mind control, and despotism is
beyond me.
†. Matt 10:34-37 . .Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I
came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at
variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the
daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man's foes shall be they of
his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not
worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not
worthy of me.
Christ drew a line in the dirt with that statement: in other words, who will
you serve? . . . me or your parents? Nobody's parents, whether Jewish or
Christian, have the right to demand a child's loyalty over and above their
loyalty to God.
†. Ex 20:3 . . Thou shalt have no other Gods before me. (cf. 1Cor 8:4-6)
†. Mark 12:30 . . Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and
with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength. (cf. Deut
10:12-13)
†. Acts 5:29 . .We must obey God rather than men.
If a conscientious Jewish child sincerely believes their parents' religion is
wrong, then they have a duty to God and conscience to break with Judaism.
I'm not saying they should break with the covenant that Yhvh's people
agreed upon with God as per Deut 29:9-15. No; that's a horse of another
color.
Those very same principles all apply to Christian denominations. For
example: if a child should come to a realization one day that his parents'
Roman Catholicism is a doctored version of Christianity, then he has a duty
to God and conscience to seek spiritual guidance elsewhere.
†. Rom 14:5 . . Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.
†. Rom 14:23 . . whatsoever is not of faith is sin.
==========================
-
197) Eph 6:1 . . Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
The primary reason given for children obeying their parents is simply that
it's the right thing to do.
There's a lot of grown-ups out there who have problems with authority; and
those problems began very early, right in their own homes. They were
demon seeds who refused to accept their parents as superiors; and they
themselves as subordinates.
The parents of that command are "in the Lord" in other words, this
rule doesn't pertain to kids with secular parents; which is a good loop
hole because there may come times for kids to disobey their parents out of
loyalty to a higher power. (cf. Matt 4:10, Matt 10:37)
The koiné Greek word for "obey" in that verse is interesting. It's hupakouo
(hoop-ak-oo'-o) which means to pay attention; viz: to heed; to mind.
Not only is minding one's parents the right thing to do, but minding has its
benefits.
198) Eph 6:2-3 . . Honor your father and mother-- which is the first
commandment with a promise --that it may go well with you and that you
may enjoy long life on the earth.
The "commandment with a promise" is located in the Old Testament.
†. Ex 20:12 . . Honor your father and mother: that your days may be long
upon the land which Yhvh your God gives you.
The koiné Greek word for "honor" in Eph 6:2 is timao (tim-ah'-o) which
means: to prize; viz: to fix a valuation upon; to revere. The very same word
is used at Matt 15:4-6 where Jesus related the fifth commandment to caring
for one's dependent parents.
Incidentally, have you noticed how little respect parents get from their
insolent progeny in modern television sit-coms, Hollywood movies, and
advertising? It's a reflection of modern American culture's attitude towards
doing what's right. Kids today are encouraged to do what's wrong in their
homes instead of doing what's right. Modern entertainment trains children
how to be demonic instead of divine.
Kids that mind and respect their parents are usually much the happier for it.
The ones that fight with their parents typically end up living in a home from
hell; and though they may live long and prosper, life will not go well with
them, nor will they enjoy it as they might have.
As kids get older, especially here in tech-savvy America, they tend to regard
their parents as dunces. That is a fatal error. The Lord's kids have got to be
on guard against that attitude; not only because it's wrong, but also because
it hurts parents deeply to be treated as morons by their own flesh and blood.
Impudent children just won't understand how deeply it hurts until they
become parents themselves; but by that time; it's too late and the damage
wrought is permanent.
FYI: Webster's defines "impudent" as: marked by contemptuous or cocky
boldness or disregard of others; viz: insolent. In other words: an impudent
child is a sociopath.
Let me caution the Lord's kids about something. The one thing you don't
want to do in this life is accumulate an archive of regrets because as sure as
you're reading this line, those regrets will haunt you in later years and rob
you of peace of mind; and one of those ugly little robbers is cruelty. Never
be cruel to your "in the Lord" parents. It will cost you. Here's a brief list of
cruelties to avoid:
Thoughtless remarks, demeaning comments, ridicule, sarcasm, sneering,
scorn, wiseacre retorts, toxic rejoinders, mockery, fault finding, and name
calling. Consider those a starter kit.
BTW: regardless of a believer's age-- whether a child or an adult --it is
required that they love their "in the Lord" parents, not as themselves, but as
Christ loves them (John 15:12). Why? Because a believing child's believing
parents are fellow lambs and siblings in Christ's sheepfold; that's why. So
then, Christ's directive to love the other lambs as he himself loves them
applies to one's "in the Lord" parents too.
Q: If a Jewish child accepted Christ as the Messiah, against the wishes of his
Jewish parents, wouldn't that be breaking of the fifth commandment?
A: I seriously doubt the fifth commandment was intended to prevent one's
children from making their own decisions. If it did, then where would it end?
Would it grant a domineering Jewish mother carte blanch to dictate every
facet of her offspring's life including their spouse, their career, their clothing,
their friends, the city they live in, the food they eat, their vote, their political
party, the length of their hair, even how they raise their own kids? In short,
a carte blanch interpretation of that commandment would rob one's progeny
of not only their individuality; but also their own personal responsibility.
Q: You really don't think it's disrespectful for a Jewish child to reject their
parents' religion?
A: No, that would be disrespect for the parents' religion, not disrespect for
the parents. To my knowledge there are no divine commandments requiring
children to either accept or adopt their parents' core values.
One's attitude towards their parents and how they treat them is the issue.
How anyone can come to the conclusion the fifth commandment somehow
grants parents the powers of tyranny, mind control, and despotism is
beyond me.
†. Matt 10:34-37 . .Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I
came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at
variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the
daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man's foes shall be they of
his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not
worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not
worthy of me.
Christ drew a line in the dirt with that statement: in other words, who will
you serve? . . . me or your parents? Nobody's parents, whether Jewish or
Christian, have the right to demand a child's loyalty over and above their
loyalty to God.
†. Ex 20:3 . . Thou shalt have no other Gods before me. (cf. 1Cor 8:4-6)
†. Mark 12:30 . . Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and
with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength. (cf. Deut
10:12-13)
†. Acts 5:29 . .We must obey God rather than men.
If a conscientious Jewish child sincerely believes their parents' religion is
wrong, then they have a duty to God and conscience to break with Judaism.
I'm not saying they should break with the covenant that Yhvh's people
agreed upon with God as per Deut 29:9-15. No; that's a horse of another
color.
Those very same principles all apply to Christian denominations. For
example: if a child should come to a realization one day that his parents'
Roman Catholicism is a doctored version of Christianity, then he has a duty
to God and conscience to seek spiritual guidance elsewhere.
†. Rom 14:5 . . Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.
†. Rom 14:23 . . whatsoever is not of faith is sin.
==========================
Continued From #143
-
199) Eph 6:4 . . Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring
them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.
We're not talking about religious training here-- the focus is upon a daddy's
parenting style. Despotism, tyranny, and unfairness are not the Lord's way
of raising kids; but rather; his way is the manner of a shepherd; and "good"
shepherds aren't cruel to their flocks.
Maybe you don't burn your kids with cigarettes, pour Tabasco sauce in their
eyes, or lock them in a hall closet without food and water for two days; but
do you ignore their opinions, demean them with denigrating labels, ridicule
them, threaten their lives, work them as slaves without compensation, deny
them things just so you won't appear to indulge them, and/or say "no" to
their requests for no good reason than that you don't want to seem weak
and under their control? Do you routinely violate their human rights, and/or
relegate them to the level of livestock rather than bona fide human beings
with feelings and a mind of their own? Do you nurture within them a feeling
of importance, of belonging in your home, or do you make them feel like an
invasive species and/or an uninvited guest? Kids pick up on things like that.
But aren't there moms out there exasperating their kids? Of course! Mothers
can be just as tyrannical, despotic, and unfair as dads.
I believe it is a Spirit-filled dad's sacred filial duty to defend his children from
their own mother's abuses should the need arise. Not many dads are willing
to do that because it means risking having the wife turn against him; so
quite a few dads opt to sacrifice the children in order to keep momma
happy. In my opinion, throwing one's own children to the wolves in order to
avoid living in the same house with a moody woman has to be one of the
worst possible sins a man can ever commit in his own home. It's just
downright cowardly; and tells the kids they can't trust the one man in the
whole world upon whom they should be able to rely in times of distress.
FYI: The Bible predicts that towards the end, parents will become callous
with their babies.
†. 2Tim 3:1-3 . . This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall
come. For people shall be . . .without natural affection
The koiné Greek word for "without natural affection" is astorgos (as'-tor
gos) which means hard-hearted towards kindred.
200) Eph 6:5-6 . . Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear,
and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. Obey them not
only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ,
doing the will of God from your heart.
The koiné Greek word for "slaves" is doulos (doo'-los) which is an ambiguous
word that can mean slaves by voluntary or involuntary means. The first
would be something like an indentured slave; which Webster's defines as a
contract binding one person to work for another for a given period of time.
Jacob is a good biblical example of indentured slavery. He sold fourteen
years of his life to uncle Laban in exchange for Rachel's hand in marriage.
(Gen 29:18, Gen 29:27)
The practical application applies to giving one's employer an honest day's
work for an honest day's pay. But pay is not really the primary issue.
Subordination is the primary issue, and has been in this epistle since 5:21.
Believers may not like the idea, but they are not independent agents with
Christ; no, he owns you: bought and paid for as flesh on the line.
†. 1Cor 6:19-20 . .You are not your own; you were bought at a price.
Therefore honor God with your body.
So then, a Spirit-filled employee will serve workplace employers with a
conscientious regard for their indentured-slavery status with Christ; which is
really difficult for American believers because their country has such an
abhorrence for slavery and such a high regard for freedom, revolution, and
independence. But though believers are slaves to Christ, they are not slaves
to a slave driver. Note the gentle demeanor of the request below.
†. Matt 11:28-30 . . Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am
gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke
is easy and my burden is light.
†. Rom 12:1-2 . . I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God,
that you present your bodies a living sacrifice-- holy, acceptable to God -
which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but
be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is
that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
I once worked with two Christian men in a welding shop who demanded a
sit-down with the superintendent to air some grievances. I took it upon
myself to remind them that Peter directed Christians to endure what they
thought of as unfair treatment from employers (1Pet 2:18-25). Well, they
ignored both me and Peter because they felt insulted to be treated like
children by management and wouldn't rest until they told them so.
What you have there is a case of rabid male pride overruling the Lord's
wishes. Not good. Peter was given the keys of the kingdom (Matt 16:19). If
Christians believe that to be true, then for them, scorning Peter is all the
same as their scorning Christ-- it's a domino effect all the way to the top.
†. Luke 10:16 . .Whoever listens to you; listens to me. Whoever rejects you;
rejects me. And whoever rejects me; rejects the one who sent me.
==========================
-
199) Eph 6:4 . . Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring
them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.
We're not talking about religious training here-- the focus is upon a daddy's
parenting style. Despotism, tyranny, and unfairness are not the Lord's way
of raising kids; but rather; his way is the manner of a shepherd; and "good"
shepherds aren't cruel to their flocks.
Maybe you don't burn your kids with cigarettes, pour Tabasco sauce in their
eyes, or lock them in a hall closet without food and water for two days; but
do you ignore their opinions, demean them with denigrating labels, ridicule
them, threaten their lives, work them as slaves without compensation, deny
them things just so you won't appear to indulge them, and/or say "no" to
their requests for no good reason than that you don't want to seem weak
and under their control? Do you routinely violate their human rights, and/or
relegate them to the level of livestock rather than bona fide human beings
with feelings and a mind of their own? Do you nurture within them a feeling
of importance, of belonging in your home, or do you make them feel like an
invasive species and/or an uninvited guest? Kids pick up on things like that.
But aren't there moms out there exasperating their kids? Of course! Mothers
can be just as tyrannical, despotic, and unfair as dads.
I believe it is a Spirit-filled dad's sacred filial duty to defend his children from
their own mother's abuses should the need arise. Not many dads are willing
to do that because it means risking having the wife turn against him; so
quite a few dads opt to sacrifice the children in order to keep momma
happy. In my opinion, throwing one's own children to the wolves in order to
avoid living in the same house with a moody woman has to be one of the
worst possible sins a man can ever commit in his own home. It's just
downright cowardly; and tells the kids they can't trust the one man in the
whole world upon whom they should be able to rely in times of distress.
FYI: The Bible predicts that towards the end, parents will become callous
with their babies.
†. 2Tim 3:1-3 . . This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall
come. For people shall be . . .without natural affection
The koiné Greek word for "without natural affection" is astorgos (as'-tor
gos) which means hard-hearted towards kindred.
200) Eph 6:5-6 . . Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear,
and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. Obey them not
only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ,
doing the will of God from your heart.
The koiné Greek word for "slaves" is doulos (doo'-los) which is an ambiguous
word that can mean slaves by voluntary or involuntary means. The first
would be something like an indentured slave; which Webster's defines as a
contract binding one person to work for another for a given period of time.
Jacob is a good biblical example of indentured slavery. He sold fourteen
years of his life to uncle Laban in exchange for Rachel's hand in marriage.
(Gen 29:18, Gen 29:27)
The practical application applies to giving one's employer an honest day's
work for an honest day's pay. But pay is not really the primary issue.
Subordination is the primary issue, and has been in this epistle since 5:21.
Believers may not like the idea, but they are not independent agents with
Christ; no, he owns you: bought and paid for as flesh on the line.
†. 1Cor 6:19-20 . .You are not your own; you were bought at a price.
Therefore honor God with your body.
So then, a Spirit-filled employee will serve workplace employers with a
conscientious regard for their indentured-slavery status with Christ; which is
really difficult for American believers because their country has such an
abhorrence for slavery and such a high regard for freedom, revolution, and
independence. But though believers are slaves to Christ, they are not slaves
to a slave driver. Note the gentle demeanor of the request below.
†. Matt 11:28-30 . . Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am
gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke
is easy and my burden is light.
†. Rom 12:1-2 . . I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God,
that you present your bodies a living sacrifice-- holy, acceptable to God -
which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but
be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is
that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
I once worked with two Christian men in a welding shop who demanded a
sit-down with the superintendent to air some grievances. I took it upon
myself to remind them that Peter directed Christians to endure what they
thought of as unfair treatment from employers (1Pet 2:18-25). Well, they
ignored both me and Peter because they felt insulted to be treated like
children by management and wouldn't rest until they told them so.
What you have there is a case of rabid male pride overruling the Lord's
wishes. Not good. Peter was given the keys of the kingdom (Matt 16:19). If
Christians believe that to be true, then for them, scorning Peter is all the
same as their scorning Christ-- it's a domino effect all the way to the top.
†. Luke 10:16 . .Whoever listens to you; listens to me. Whoever rejects you;
rejects me. And whoever rejects me; rejects the one who sent me.
==========================
Continued From #144
-
201) Eph 6:7-8 . . Slaves, serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the
Lord instead of men.
If believers wish to hear the Lord say "Well done thou good and faithful
servant" then fighting with management is simply out of the question. No,
don't fight, instead: bite the bullet.
†. Php 1:29 . . For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to
believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake.
†. 1Pet 2:18-24 . . Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear,
not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh. For this is
commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief,
suffering wrongfully. For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your
faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it
patiently, this is commendable before God.
. . . For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving
us an example, that you should follow His steps: Who committed no sin, nor
was deceit found in His mouth; who, when He was reviled, did not
reciprocate; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself
to Him who judges righteously.
Now there's a good, practical application of turning the other cheek.
202a) Eph 6:9a . . And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not
threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is
in heaven,
The "masters" in that verse are limited to believing masters, not the world's.
If there is one political axiom that rings true in every generation, it's that
absolute power corrupts absolutely. It's in the human heart to abuse
authority and to oppress and exploit people rather than manage them to
everyone's advantage.
Believing masters, and believing slaves, are siblings in God's family.
Therefore, Christ's law is to be exemplified by both the slave and by his
master.
†. John 15:12-13 . . My command is this: Love each other as I have loved
you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his
friends.
In other words; if it's required to lay down one's life for one's Bible-believing
Christian brothers; is it too much to ask to swallow one's pride?
A slave master willing to sacrifice his life to protect his slaves would be a
very unusual master; but that is the very attitude of a Spirit-filled master
towards his believing slaves; and should be the attitude of a Spirit-filled
supervisor towards his believing employees: which is the attitude of a good
shepherd rather than that of a self-serving predator.
†. John 10:10-13 . .The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to
destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it
more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life
for the sheep.
. . . But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep
are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the
wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because
he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.
202b) Eph 6:9b . . and there is no favoritism with him.
The believing master's rank doesn't mitigate his accountability. No, he has
no advantage over the believing slave. Both must give an accounting of
themselves, and neither the master nor the slave will be given the slightest
preferential treatment. No, they will be recompensed on the merits of their
faithfulness; rather than their positions.
==========================
-
201) Eph 6:7-8 . . Slaves, serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the
Lord instead of men.
If believers wish to hear the Lord say "Well done thou good and faithful
servant" then fighting with management is simply out of the question. No,
don't fight, instead: bite the bullet.
†. Php 1:29 . . For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to
believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake.
†. 1Pet 2:18-24 . . Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear,
not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh. For this is
commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief,
suffering wrongfully. For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your
faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it
patiently, this is commendable before God.
. . . For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving
us an example, that you should follow His steps: Who committed no sin, nor
was deceit found in His mouth; who, when He was reviled, did not
reciprocate; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself
to Him who judges righteously.
Now there's a good, practical application of turning the other cheek.
202a) Eph 6:9a . . And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not
threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is
in heaven,
The "masters" in that verse are limited to believing masters, not the world's.
If there is one political axiom that rings true in every generation, it's that
absolute power corrupts absolutely. It's in the human heart to abuse
authority and to oppress and exploit people rather than manage them to
everyone's advantage.
Believing masters, and believing slaves, are siblings in God's family.
Therefore, Christ's law is to be exemplified by both the slave and by his
master.
†. John 15:12-13 . . My command is this: Love each other as I have loved
you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his
friends.
In other words; if it's required to lay down one's life for one's Bible-believing
Christian brothers; is it too much to ask to swallow one's pride?
A slave master willing to sacrifice his life to protect his slaves would be a
very unusual master; but that is the very attitude of a Spirit-filled master
towards his believing slaves; and should be the attitude of a Spirit-filled
supervisor towards his believing employees: which is the attitude of a good
shepherd rather than that of a self-serving predator.
†. John 10:10-13 . .The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to
destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it
more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life
for the sheep.
. . . But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep
are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the
wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because
he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.
202b) Eph 6:9b . . and there is no favoritism with him.
The believing master's rank doesn't mitigate his accountability. No, he has
no advantage over the believing slave. Both must give an accounting of
themselves, and neither the master nor the slave will be given the slightest
preferential treatment. No, they will be recompensed on the merits of their
faithfulness; rather than their positions.
==========================
Continued From #145
-
203) Eph 6:10 . . Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in His mighty power.
The strength mandated there is the nature of combat readiness. When I was
serving in the US Army back in the early 1960's, the term "up to strength"
meant our unit had a full complement of soldiers ready for war with their
weapons, their clothing, their munitions, their training, and their equipment.
But soldiers are not supposed to be mercenaries; no, they go to war under
the authority and control of the country they serve. And soldiers pick neither
their battles nor their theater of operations; no, superiors pick the battles
and the theaters; and when they do so, the full power of their country is
behind them, and its resources are at their disposal.
When Joshua was commissioned by God to conquer Canaan, Israel's
commander-in-chief wasn't left to his own devices; no, at his disposal was
the arsenal and counsel of Yhvh-- a source of intelligence and supernatural
powers against which Joshua's enemies had absolutely no defense.
Every believer is a soldier in a war, and there's no neutral ground: you're
either fighting with the Lord or you're fighting against the Lord because
there's no such thing as conscientious objection in this conflict.
†. Matt 12:30 . . He that is not with me is against me
204) Eph 6:11 . . Wear the full armor of God; so that you may stand against
the Devil's tactics.
In other words; when your engage the Devil, don't do it bare-handed and or
bare-chested. Suit up first; so to speak.
Joshua's operations were essentially offensive. He was commissioned to
conquer and to colonize; but in the believer's war, the operations are
essentially defensive; viz: believers are required to stand rather than attack.
In other words, believers are dug in like the Japanese on Saipan and Iwo
Jima rather than landing with the allies at Normandy; and enemy forces are
everywhere: it's a 360° battlefield-- there's neither a front nor a rear; nor a
left flank nor a right flank; no, there's only a perimeter.
Why is this situation? Because according to Matt 28:18-20, the believer's
mission is to recruit and indoctrinate-- not conquer and colonize as if we
were supposed to be building Christ's kingdom on earth. No, forget that.
Believers are sojourners not colonizers. (1Pet 2:11)
Webster's defines a "sojourner" as: a temporary resident.
Believers are also "pilgrims"; which Webster's defines as: one who journeys
in foreign lands; viz: a wayfarer
205) Eph 6:13 . .Therefore take up the full armor of God, so that when the
day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you
have done everything, to stand.
That's a call to arms if ever there was one. Christians are sort of like
Minutemen; ready to fight and defend on a moment's notice.
The "full armor of God" includes not only body protection, but also any and
all weapons as assigned (e.g. Luke 11:22). And the directive here is to have
it all with you all the time, not just some of the time. Carelessness is just an
open invitation to defeat by means of a sudden, surprise attack.
==========================
-
203) Eph 6:10 . . Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in His mighty power.
The strength mandated there is the nature of combat readiness. When I was
serving in the US Army back in the early 1960's, the term "up to strength"
meant our unit had a full complement of soldiers ready for war with their
weapons, their clothing, their munitions, their training, and their equipment.
But soldiers are not supposed to be mercenaries; no, they go to war under
the authority and control of the country they serve. And soldiers pick neither
their battles nor their theater of operations; no, superiors pick the battles
and the theaters; and when they do so, the full power of their country is
behind them, and its resources are at their disposal.
When Joshua was commissioned by God to conquer Canaan, Israel's
commander-in-chief wasn't left to his own devices; no, at his disposal was
the arsenal and counsel of Yhvh-- a source of intelligence and supernatural
powers against which Joshua's enemies had absolutely no defense.
Every believer is a soldier in a war, and there's no neutral ground: you're
either fighting with the Lord or you're fighting against the Lord because
there's no such thing as conscientious objection in this conflict.
†. Matt 12:30 . . He that is not with me is against me
204) Eph 6:11 . . Wear the full armor of God; so that you may stand against
the Devil's tactics.
In other words; when your engage the Devil, don't do it bare-handed and or
bare-chested. Suit up first; so to speak.
Joshua's operations were essentially offensive. He was commissioned to
conquer and to colonize; but in the believer's war, the operations are
essentially defensive; viz: believers are required to stand rather than attack.
In other words, believers are dug in like the Japanese on Saipan and Iwo
Jima rather than landing with the allies at Normandy; and enemy forces are
everywhere: it's a 360° battlefield-- there's neither a front nor a rear; nor a
left flank nor a right flank; no, there's only a perimeter.
Why is this situation? Because according to Matt 28:18-20, the believer's
mission is to recruit and indoctrinate-- not conquer and colonize as if we
were supposed to be building Christ's kingdom on earth. No, forget that.
Believers are sojourners not colonizers. (1Pet 2:11)
Webster's defines a "sojourner" as: a temporary resident.
Believers are also "pilgrims"; which Webster's defines as: one who journeys
in foreign lands; viz: a wayfarer
205) Eph 6:13 . .Therefore take up the full armor of God, so that when the
day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you
have done everything, to stand.
That's a call to arms if ever there was one. Christians are sort of like
Minutemen; ready to fight and defend on a moment's notice.
The "full armor of God" includes not only body protection, but also any and
all weapons as assigned (e.g. Luke 11:22). And the directive here is to have
it all with you all the time, not just some of the time. Carelessness is just an
open invitation to defeat by means of a sudden, surprise attack.
==========================
Continued From #146
-
206) Eph 6:14a . . Hold fast therefore, having girded your waist with truth
Men in that day usually didn't wear pants. They typically wore some type of
skirt; which, if of the Bedouin variety, was a bit cumbersome and made it
difficult to maneuver. So when it came time for activities like say running,
climbing, building homes, or digging ditches, they would pull the lower ends
of their skirt up around their waste and hold them in place with a belt; thus
giving themselves a little more leg room.
Webster's defines "truth" as the real facts about something. Anybody who's
been on Christian internet forums for any length of time is aware that there
are many facts floating around out in cyberspace that well-meaning people
sincerely believe are the real facts; and they are constantly arguing amongst
themselves trying to prove that their facts are the real facts and the other
guys facts are fiction.
Well; they can't all be girded with the real facts so I think it's safe to assume
that a percentage of Christians out there are girded with fictional facts; and
they don't know it. Of course everybody thinks it's always the other guy
who's got it wrong because it is unimaginable to suspect that we ourselves
might be the ones with a head full of baloney.
207) Eph 6:14b . . having on the breastplate of righteousness
The obvious parallel here is a flak jacket; which won't always stop a high
powered rifle bullet, but is pretty effective against secondary missiles,
grenade fragments, and small arms like pistols, knives, spears, swords, and
archery.
I would have to say that the righteousness in this passage pertains to one's
personal conduct rather than the imputed righteousness a believer obtains
by means of Jesus' crucifixion. So then; in order to be strong in the Lord's
mighty power; a believer has to be in fellowship with God; and His fellowship
is not obtainable by those whose conduct is unbecoming.
†. 1John 1:5-7 . .This is the message which we have heard from Him and
declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say
that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not
practice the truth.
Joshua found out the hard way that personal righteousness is essential in
order to keep the Lord on your side. His men attacked a little community
called Ai (Josh 7:2-12) and lost big because their conduct was curse-worthy
rather than victory-worthy.
It's essential that a soldier serve with honor because in spite of all his
combat readiness and/or his courage under fire, that man will find himself in
front of a courts martial looking at the business end of the rifle barrel of
military justice instead of serving his country on the battlefield if he doesn't
toe the mark and keep his nose clean. And a soldier in the stockade is one
less soldier in action.
†. 2Tim 2:20-21 . . In a large house there are articles not only of gold and
silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for
ignoble. If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument
for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any
good work.
208) Eph 6:15 . . and with your feet shod with the readiness that comes
from the gospel of peace.
The koiné Greek word for "readiness" is hetoimasia (het-oy-mas-ee'-ah)
which means: preparation.
In the US Army, everybody is a soldier, even the cooks. So then, nobody is
exempt from Basic Training. We all, regardless of our future in the Army,
had to learn how to load, aim, fire, clear, field strip, and clean a primary
weapon. In my day, it was a .30cal M1 Garand; today, it's the .223cal M16.
We were all taught squad tactics, escape and evasion, and how to use a
compass, how to use binoculars, how to operate radios, how to dig a fox
hole, how to use cover and concealment, how to use camouflage, how to
handle a .45 Colt Auto, how to orient and read a Mercator topographic map,
how to throw a grenade, how to clear a path through a mine field, how to
use a gas mask, how to spot trip wires and booby traps, hand to hand
combat, and fighting with a fixed bayonet.
We were also taught discipline: how to take orders and follow commands. In
other words, everyone entering the Army for the first time is taught enough
soldiering so that if need be, they can be an effective combatant on a
moment's notice whether they're a computer operator, an engineer, or a
medic.
From Basic Training, we all branched out to specialized trainings depending
on our choice of what used to be called an MOS (Military Occupational
Specialty). The military has lots of specialties to choose from; so after
successfully completing Basic, each new soldier goes off for schooling in their
particular MOS. This would correspond to discovering, exercising, and
perfecting one's particular gift as per Rom 12:3-8 and 1Cor 12:4-12.
It isn't unusual for a new Christian to want to do some great work like go
out on the mission field. Whoa! Put the brakes on! A new Christian is just a
recruit. They're not going anywhere without they successfully complete
some basic Bible instruction first. Because until they do, biblically ignorant
Christians just get in the way and muddy the waters. Their heads are full of
baloney; they get into trouble, and get themselves taken down too easily.
Newbies are the Devil's meat; just cannon fodder.
In other words: before a newbie is ready to take up the Lord's mandate as
per Matt 28:19, the newbie himself must first be taught to observe all things
whatsoever the Lord has commanded his followers as per Matt 28:20. Let's
not get the cart before the horse.
==========================
-
206) Eph 6:14a . . Hold fast therefore, having girded your waist with truth
Men in that day usually didn't wear pants. They typically wore some type of
skirt; which, if of the Bedouin variety, was a bit cumbersome and made it
difficult to maneuver. So when it came time for activities like say running,
climbing, building homes, or digging ditches, they would pull the lower ends
of their skirt up around their waste and hold them in place with a belt; thus
giving themselves a little more leg room.
Webster's defines "truth" as the real facts about something. Anybody who's
been on Christian internet forums for any length of time is aware that there
are many facts floating around out in cyberspace that well-meaning people
sincerely believe are the real facts; and they are constantly arguing amongst
themselves trying to prove that their facts are the real facts and the other
guys facts are fiction.
Well; they can't all be girded with the real facts so I think it's safe to assume
that a percentage of Christians out there are girded with fictional facts; and
they don't know it. Of course everybody thinks it's always the other guy
who's got it wrong because it is unimaginable to suspect that we ourselves
might be the ones with a head full of baloney.
207) Eph 6:14b . . having on the breastplate of righteousness
The obvious parallel here is a flak jacket; which won't always stop a high
powered rifle bullet, but is pretty effective against secondary missiles,
grenade fragments, and small arms like pistols, knives, spears, swords, and
archery.
I would have to say that the righteousness in this passage pertains to one's
personal conduct rather than the imputed righteousness a believer obtains
by means of Jesus' crucifixion. So then; in order to be strong in the Lord's
mighty power; a believer has to be in fellowship with God; and His fellowship
is not obtainable by those whose conduct is unbecoming.
†. 1John 1:5-7 . .This is the message which we have heard from Him and
declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say
that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not
practice the truth.
Joshua found out the hard way that personal righteousness is essential in
order to keep the Lord on your side. His men attacked a little community
called Ai (Josh 7:2-12) and lost big because their conduct was curse-worthy
rather than victory-worthy.
It's essential that a soldier serve with honor because in spite of all his
combat readiness and/or his courage under fire, that man will find himself in
front of a courts martial looking at the business end of the rifle barrel of
military justice instead of serving his country on the battlefield if he doesn't
toe the mark and keep his nose clean. And a soldier in the stockade is one
less soldier in action.
†. 2Tim 2:20-21 . . In a large house there are articles not only of gold and
silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for
ignoble. If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument
for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any
good work.
208) Eph 6:15 . . and with your feet shod with the readiness that comes
from the gospel of peace.
The koiné Greek word for "readiness" is hetoimasia (het-oy-mas-ee'-ah)
which means: preparation.
In the US Army, everybody is a soldier, even the cooks. So then, nobody is
exempt from Basic Training. We all, regardless of our future in the Army,
had to learn how to load, aim, fire, clear, field strip, and clean a primary
weapon. In my day, it was a .30cal M1 Garand; today, it's the .223cal M16.
We were all taught squad tactics, escape and evasion, and how to use a
compass, how to use binoculars, how to operate radios, how to dig a fox
hole, how to use cover and concealment, how to use camouflage, how to
handle a .45 Colt Auto, how to orient and read a Mercator topographic map,
how to throw a grenade, how to clear a path through a mine field, how to
use a gas mask, how to spot trip wires and booby traps, hand to hand
combat, and fighting with a fixed bayonet.
We were also taught discipline: how to take orders and follow commands. In
other words, everyone entering the Army for the first time is taught enough
soldiering so that if need be, they can be an effective combatant on a
moment's notice whether they're a computer operator, an engineer, or a
medic.
From Basic Training, we all branched out to specialized trainings depending
on our choice of what used to be called an MOS (Military Occupational
Specialty). The military has lots of specialties to choose from; so after
successfully completing Basic, each new soldier goes off for schooling in their
particular MOS. This would correspond to discovering, exercising, and
perfecting one's particular gift as per Rom 12:3-8 and 1Cor 12:4-12.
It isn't unusual for a new Christian to want to do some great work like go
out on the mission field. Whoa! Put the brakes on! A new Christian is just a
recruit. They're not going anywhere without they successfully complete
some basic Bible instruction first. Because until they do, biblically ignorant
Christians just get in the way and muddy the waters. Their heads are full of
baloney; they get into trouble, and get themselves taken down too easily.
Newbies are the Devil's meat; just cannon fodder.
In other words: before a newbie is ready to take up the Lord's mandate as
per Matt 28:19, the newbie himself must first be taught to observe all things
whatsoever the Lord has commanded his followers as per Matt 28:20. Let's
not get the cart before the horse.
==========================
Continued From #147
-
209) Eph 6:16 . . In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with
which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
The koiné Greek word for "extinguish" is sbennumi (sben'-noo-mee) which
means primarily to quench. The same word is used at Heb 11:34 in regard
to the three Hebrew lads in Daniel 3:19-27. The angel that was dispatched
to protect Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego didn't actually snuff out the
fiery furnace, but rather, prevented its flames from burning the boys: in
other words, faith is a protective barrier; i.e. insulation.
Let me ask you something. Is your faith in Christ built upon logic, or is it
built upon feelings? In other words: is it only academic? Well; let me tell you
something, it had better be built upon feelings because logic can be easily
dismantled while feelings are not easily dispelled no matter how much clever
logic is thrown at them.
I've been asked several times in the past how I know that my beliefs are
true. My answer is: I don't know if they're true. Then of course they follow
up with: Then why do you believe your beliefs are true when you have no
way of knowing they're true?
Most of the people who ask me those kinds of questions are genuine: they're
not trying to trip me up and make a fool out of me. They really are curious
about it. So I tell them that though I don't know if my beliefs are true; my
instincts tell me they are.
Apparently the slavery to my instincts that I'm experiencing is normal
because the Bible says that in order to be saved by faith in Christ's
resurrection; one must believe not in their head but in their heart. Well; my
head says that his resurrection is fiction; but my gut says it's fact. In other
words; I believe with my heart rather than my intellect. Below is an example
of what I'm talking about.
†. Rom 10:9-10 . . If you believe in your heart that God raised him from the
dead, you will be spared. For it is with your heart that you believe and are
justified
Interesting isn't it? And yet Christians all over the world resolutely deny the
role that emotion plays in their system of beliefs. Well, they've got a
problem; because if they are only believing in Christ's resurrection with their
intellect sans any gut input whatsoever; then they are just as surely lost as
if they were an atheist. And as for having faith as a shield? Forget it. Not
happening.
But people whose faith in Christ is built upon their instincts instead of logic
are nigh bullet proof. No matter if someone were to prove beyond a shadow
of any reasonable doubt that there never was a Jesus who died and came
back from the dead; the person whose faith is reinforced by their gut is
unshakable because it's like they say: "A man convinced against his will, is
of the same opinion still." Lot of truth in that.
==========================
-
209) Eph 6:16 . . In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with
which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
The koiné Greek word for "extinguish" is sbennumi (sben'-noo-mee) which
means primarily to quench. The same word is used at Heb 11:34 in regard
to the three Hebrew lads in Daniel 3:19-27. The angel that was dispatched
to protect Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego didn't actually snuff out the
fiery furnace, but rather, prevented its flames from burning the boys: in
other words, faith is a protective barrier; i.e. insulation.
Let me ask you something. Is your faith in Christ built upon logic, or is it
built upon feelings? In other words: is it only academic? Well; let me tell you
something, it had better be built upon feelings because logic can be easily
dismantled while feelings are not easily dispelled no matter how much clever
logic is thrown at them.
I've been asked several times in the past how I know that my beliefs are
true. My answer is: I don't know if they're true. Then of course they follow
up with: Then why do you believe your beliefs are true when you have no
way of knowing they're true?
Most of the people who ask me those kinds of questions are genuine: they're
not trying to trip me up and make a fool out of me. They really are curious
about it. So I tell them that though I don't know if my beliefs are true; my
instincts tell me they are.
Apparently the slavery to my instincts that I'm experiencing is normal
because the Bible says that in order to be saved by faith in Christ's
resurrection; one must believe not in their head but in their heart. Well; my
head says that his resurrection is fiction; but my gut says it's fact. In other
words; I believe with my heart rather than my intellect. Below is an example
of what I'm talking about.
†. Rom 10:9-10 . . If you believe in your heart that God raised him from the
dead, you will be spared. For it is with your heart that you believe and are
justified
Interesting isn't it? And yet Christians all over the world resolutely deny the
role that emotion plays in their system of beliefs. Well, they've got a
problem; because if they are only believing in Christ's resurrection with their
intellect sans any gut input whatsoever; then they are just as surely lost as
if they were an atheist. And as for having faith as a shield? Forget it. Not
happening.
But people whose faith in Christ is built upon their instincts instead of logic
are nigh bullet proof. No matter if someone were to prove beyond a shadow
of any reasonable doubt that there never was a Jesus who died and came
back from the dead; the person whose faith is reinforced by their gut is
unshakable because it's like they say: "A man convinced against his will, is
of the same opinion still." Lot of truth in that.
==========================
Continued From #148
-
210) Eph 6:17 . .Take the helmet of salvation
Helmets not only protect one's scalp, and one's skull, but also one's brains.
Without a sound mind, a defender is about as effective in war as a Ken doll.
†. 2Tim 1:7 . . For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power,
and of love, and of a sound mind.
Unbelievers don’t have sound minds; no, their heads are filled with half
truths, opinions, delusions, sophistry, double-speak, and theories. A sound
mind deals in reality rather than half-truths, opinions, delusions, sophistry,
double-speak and theories. In point of fact; one of the definitions of "truth"
is: the way it is; viz: the way it really is. Denial of reality is not what I would
call the workings of a sound mind; but rather, the workings of an escapist
mind or the mind of a Matrix captive. (cf. Eph 2:1-3)
211) Eph 6:18a . . Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers
and requests.
Praying in the Spirit doesn't necessarily entail praying in the power of the
Spirit; rather: in the ways of the Spirit; for example:
†. Gen 6:3 . .Then the Lord said: My Spirit shall not strive with man forever
Before the Flood, God's Spirit, via the preaching of Enoch and Noah, argued
with the antediluvians that it was in their best interests to live righteously
rather than the utterly lawless way that had become their habit. In other
words: when people comply with the Lord's wishes; they are walking
according to the Spirit instead of walking according to their own natural
impulses. That's really all it means to pray in the Spirit.
†. 1John 1:5-6 . . If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the
darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.
212) Eph 6:18b . . Be alert
In other words: don't get careless and let humanism and/or human nature
become your dominant influence. Make a conscientious effort to always walk
according to the Spirit's teachings; which, in reality, are Christ's teachings
too. (John 16:14-15)
213) Eph 6:18c . .Always keep on praying for all the saints.
The koiné Greek word for "saints" is hagios (hag'-ee-os) which means:
sacred; viz: designated for God; in other words: Christ's people and/or
Yhvh's people. (cf. Eph 2:11-19)
The mandate is to pray for "all" the saints; not just the special ones like
pastors, deacons, and missionaries. I've seen it happen that when church
managers call for prayer, it's typically not prayer for the whole church; but
prayer for themselves. Well; that's fine as far as it goes; but let's not neglect
to pray for the congregation too.
==========================
-
210) Eph 6:17 . .Take the helmet of salvation
Helmets not only protect one's scalp, and one's skull, but also one's brains.
Without a sound mind, a defender is about as effective in war as a Ken doll.
†. 2Tim 1:7 . . For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power,
and of love, and of a sound mind.
Unbelievers don’t have sound minds; no, their heads are filled with half
truths, opinions, delusions, sophistry, double-speak, and theories. A sound
mind deals in reality rather than half-truths, opinions, delusions, sophistry,
double-speak and theories. In point of fact; one of the definitions of "truth"
is: the way it is; viz: the way it really is. Denial of reality is not what I would
call the workings of a sound mind; but rather, the workings of an escapist
mind or the mind of a Matrix captive. (cf. Eph 2:1-3)
211) Eph 6:18a . . Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers
and requests.
Praying in the Spirit doesn't necessarily entail praying in the power of the
Spirit; rather: in the ways of the Spirit; for example:
†. Gen 6:3 . .Then the Lord said: My Spirit shall not strive with man forever
Before the Flood, God's Spirit, via the preaching of Enoch and Noah, argued
with the antediluvians that it was in their best interests to live righteously
rather than the utterly lawless way that had become their habit. In other
words: when people comply with the Lord's wishes; they are walking
according to the Spirit instead of walking according to their own natural
impulses. That's really all it means to pray in the Spirit.
†. 1John 1:5-6 . . If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the
darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.
212) Eph 6:18b . . Be alert
In other words: don't get careless and let humanism and/or human nature
become your dominant influence. Make a conscientious effort to always walk
according to the Spirit's teachings; which, in reality, are Christ's teachings
too. (John 16:14-15)
213) Eph 6:18c . .Always keep on praying for all the saints.
The koiné Greek word for "saints" is hagios (hag'-ee-os) which means:
sacred; viz: designated for God; in other words: Christ's people and/or
Yhvh's people. (cf. Eph 2:11-19)
The mandate is to pray for "all" the saints; not just the special ones like
pastors, deacons, and missionaries. I've seen it happen that when church
managers call for prayer, it's typically not prayer for the whole church; but
prayer for themselves. Well; that's fine as far as it goes; but let's not neglect
to pray for the congregation too.
==========================
Last edited:
Continued From #149
-
214) Php 1:27-30 . .Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner
worthy of the gospel of Christ . . without being intimated in any way by
those who oppose you.
Intimidation essentially frightens somebody into submission and/or induces
fear or a sense of inferiority. The goal of intimidation is to break somebody's
spirit and make them give up, lose heart, and drag along in a fog of futility.
Intimidation is often effected by cowing, bulldozing, bullying, and
browbeating.
Browbeat implies a cowing through arrogant, scornful, contemptuous, or
insolent treatment.
Cow implies reduction to a state where the spirit is broken and/or all
courage is lost
Bulldoze implies breaking somebody down by pressure, urgings, demands,
or threats
Bullying implies intimidation through threats, insults, and/or aggressive
behavior
Equally effective, if not more so, is Peer Pressure; which can be defined as:
the influence exerted by a peer group in encouraging a person to change his
or her attitudes, values, or behavior in order to conform to group norms.
Peer pressure owes it strength to the human heart's natural desire to
belong. In the song "Subdivision" by a rock group named RUSH, there's a
lyric that goes: Be cool or be cast out. Of course the criteria for defining
what's cool and what's not, are legislated by the group to which one wishes
to belong. For high school kids; the "group" is oftentimes not confined to a
small posse of valued associates; but even an entire student body. That's a
lot of pressure; especially when young people live in dread fear of being
known by everybody as a weirdo or a geek.
In an episode of Jerry Seinfeld, somebody, I can't remember who, asked
George Costanza: Is it really necessary that everybody like you? And George
answered, in an almost indignant tone: Yes! . . it is.
The Lord's people are called to put up with those kinds of abuses, and to
encourage themselves by always keeping in mind that a day is coming when
the Lord is going to make their enemies pay for the way they treated His
sheep.
†. 2Ths 1:6-10 . . Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense
tribulation to them that trouble you; and to you who are troubled rest with
us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty
angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and
that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished
with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the
glory of his power; when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be
admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was
believed) in that day.
215) Php 2:1-2 . . If you have any encouragement from being united with
Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any
tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like
minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.
"unity" is a buzz word among ecumenicals; but Christ's directive in no way
pertains to ecumenicals whose core belief it is that no one's wrong, and
everyone's a Christian if they say so. No, the Lord's directive only pertains to
a very narrow cross section of Christians whom he labeled: "those you have
given me" (John 17:9). It is they for whom the Lord prayed for unity. (John
17:11, John 17:21-22)
216) Php 2:2-3 . . Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in
humility consider others better than yourselves.
If there is at least one place on earth where believers should be on the same
plane with each other it's church; but that's not always the case as human
beings are just naturally prone to status consciousness; especially among
pastors, choir members, Sunday school teachers, Deacons, Deaconesses,
etc.
Some people aren't content with mediocrity; no, they have to be heads
above the crowd, they have to be admired: they have to be feted, they have
to be heard, they have to be noticed, they have to be somebody, they have
to be a mover and a shaker, they have to be up in an ivory tower; they have
to have their finger on the pulse; they have to be in the limelight. (oops;
another RUSH song) and above all; they have to be right because it is totally
contrary to conceit's nature to be wrong about anything; even superfluous
minutiae.
If you should find yourself in a position around your church, whether as an
usher or a cook for men's Saturday morning prayer breakfast, make sure
you're your heart's in the right place because there is coming a performance
evaluation for the Lord's sheep where some of the elite are going to be very
embarrassed when they're exposed for the ambitious achievers they really
are.
†. 1Cor 4:5 . . He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness, and will
expose the motives of men's hearts.
An especially bad case of conceit is on display at 3John 1:9-10
==========================
-
214) Php 1:27-30 . .Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner
worthy of the gospel of Christ . . without being intimated in any way by
those who oppose you.
Intimidation essentially frightens somebody into submission and/or induces
fear or a sense of inferiority. The goal of intimidation is to break somebody's
spirit and make them give up, lose heart, and drag along in a fog of futility.
Intimidation is often effected by cowing, bulldozing, bullying, and
browbeating.
Browbeat implies a cowing through arrogant, scornful, contemptuous, or
insolent treatment.
Cow implies reduction to a state where the spirit is broken and/or all
courage is lost
Bulldoze implies breaking somebody down by pressure, urgings, demands,
or threats
Bullying implies intimidation through threats, insults, and/or aggressive
behavior
Equally effective, if not more so, is Peer Pressure; which can be defined as:
the influence exerted by a peer group in encouraging a person to change his
or her attitudes, values, or behavior in order to conform to group norms.
Peer pressure owes it strength to the human heart's natural desire to
belong. In the song "Subdivision" by a rock group named RUSH, there's a
lyric that goes: Be cool or be cast out. Of course the criteria for defining
what's cool and what's not, are legislated by the group to which one wishes
to belong. For high school kids; the "group" is oftentimes not confined to a
small posse of valued associates; but even an entire student body. That's a
lot of pressure; especially when young people live in dread fear of being
known by everybody as a weirdo or a geek.
In an episode of Jerry Seinfeld, somebody, I can't remember who, asked
George Costanza: Is it really necessary that everybody like you? And George
answered, in an almost indignant tone: Yes! . . it is.
The Lord's people are called to put up with those kinds of abuses, and to
encourage themselves by always keeping in mind that a day is coming when
the Lord is going to make their enemies pay for the way they treated His
sheep.
†. 2Ths 1:6-10 . . Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense
tribulation to them that trouble you; and to you who are troubled rest with
us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty
angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and
that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished
with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the
glory of his power; when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be
admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was
believed) in that day.
215) Php 2:1-2 . . If you have any encouragement from being united with
Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any
tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like
minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.
"unity" is a buzz word among ecumenicals; but Christ's directive in no way
pertains to ecumenicals whose core belief it is that no one's wrong, and
everyone's a Christian if they say so. No, the Lord's directive only pertains to
a very narrow cross section of Christians whom he labeled: "those you have
given me" (John 17:9). It is they for whom the Lord prayed for unity. (John
17:11, John 17:21-22)
216) Php 2:2-3 . . Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in
humility consider others better than yourselves.
If there is at least one place on earth where believers should be on the same
plane with each other it's church; but that's not always the case as human
beings are just naturally prone to status consciousness; especially among
pastors, choir members, Sunday school teachers, Deacons, Deaconesses,
etc.
Some people aren't content with mediocrity; no, they have to be heads
above the crowd, they have to be admired: they have to be feted, they have
to be heard, they have to be noticed, they have to be somebody, they have
to be a mover and a shaker, they have to be up in an ivory tower; they have
to have their finger on the pulse; they have to be in the limelight. (oops;
another RUSH song) and above all; they have to be right because it is totally
contrary to conceit's nature to be wrong about anything; even superfluous
minutiae.
If you should find yourself in a position around your church, whether as an
usher or a cook for men's Saturday morning prayer breakfast, make sure
you're your heart's in the right place because there is coming a performance
evaluation for the Lord's sheep where some of the elite are going to be very
embarrassed when they're exposed for the ambitious achievers they really
are.
†. 1Cor 4:5 . . He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness, and will
expose the motives of men's hearts.
An especially bad case of conceit is on display at 3John 1:9-10
==========================
Continued From #150
-
217) Php 2:4 . . Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but
also to the interests of others.
The "others" in that verse are exclusive. Paul's directive pertains only to the
classification of people to whom he penned his letter; viz: "saints in Christ
Jesus . . together with the overseers and deacons" (Php 1:1)
Seeing as how the Lord expressly forbids selfish ambition amongst his own;
therefore, before proceeding with your ideas, be very sure to ponder all the
possible ramifications of your actions first. Stepping on people's toes, and/or
thwarting their ideas so that yours prevails, fails to satisfy the law of Christ;
which requires believers to love their fellow believers as Christ loves them
(John 15:12). It also fails to satisfy the Golden Rule which says: So in
everything, do to others what you would have them do to you. (Matt 7:12).
Selfish ambition just simply isn't very nice.
218) Php 2:5-8 . .Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something
to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a
servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a
man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-- even death on a
cross.
That's an interesting contrast between the Lord and Adam. He and his wife
made a definite grab for equality with God: and the possibility of that
equality was one of the Serpent's selling points. (Gen 3:4-5)
It is just amazing how well the Lord shelved his God-given prerogatives of
royalty and conducted himself a very regular guy. Even the people with
whom the Lord grew up in his home town had no clue he was so well
connected to their creator.
Can you just imagine, say, entering a building and there's Christ holding the
door open for you? I would be a lots more comfortable the other way
around; but that's just the way he is; Christ has never let either his rank or
his position go to his head. There isn't a pretentious, pompous, ostentatious,
vain, narcissistic, elitist bone in his body.
The Lord reminds me of the opening scenes of "Camelot" where King Arthur,
out walking by himself in the woods, deep in thought and soliloquy, appears
to be such a commoner that Sir Lancelot calls him a coward and challenges
him to a joust.
That same degree of commonness is apparent in the Lord at Luke 24:15-31
where he spoke with two disciples after his resurrection who had no clue
who he really was as there is nothing in either his bearing or his demeanor
that suggested royalty.
†. Matt 11:28-30 . . Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am
meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke
is easy, and my burden is light.
†. John 1:14 . .We beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the
Father, full of grace
Some of the aspects of "grace" are kind, courteous, inclined to good will,
generous, charitable, merciful, altruistic, compassionate, thoughtful, cordial,
affable, genial, sociable, cheerful, warm, sensitive, considerate, and tactful.
Cordial stresses warmth and heartiness
Affable implies easy approachability and readiness to respond pleasantly to
conversation or requests or proposals
Genial stresses cheerfulness and even joviality
Sociable suggests a genuine liking for the companionship of others
Generous is characterized by a noble or forbearing spirit; viz: magnanimous,
kindly, and liberal in giving
Charitable means full of love for, and goodwill toward, others; viz:
benevolent, tolerant, and lenient.
Altruistic means unselfish regard for, or devotion to, the welfare of others;
viz: a desire to be of service to others for no other reason than it just feels
good to do so.
Tactful indicates a keen sense of what to do, or say, in order to maintain
good relations with others in order to resolve and/or avoid unnecessary
conflict.
One morning back in the late 1970's, I arrived at a Saturday morning men's
prayer breakfast at the same time as the #2 pastor of a mega church in San
Diego. He made no movement whatsoever to hold the door for me; but
rather, paused while I held it for him. What did that say about that man's
compliance with item #218? You know when pastors are setting that kind of
an example; what more can they expect from the rank and file?
†. John 13:13-17 . .You call me lord and master: and you say well; for so I
am. If I then, your lord and master, have washed your feet; you also ought
to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you
should do as I have done to you . . If you know these things, blessed are
you if you do them.
That's one of the Lord's unsung beatitudes that should be included along
with those in the sermon on the mount. There's a few others; e.g. Matt
11:6, Luke 11:28, Luke 12:38, and John 20:29.
But there is always that one "king of the mountain" in church who just has
to be head and shoulders above everybody else; for example:
†. 3John 1:9 . . I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have
the preeminence among them, receiveth us not.
Diotrephes not only opposed the apostles; but also excommunicated people
who dared to ally with them. And to think that guy operated not in a Devil
worshipping church, but in a Christ-worshipping church. (3John 1:10)
(chuckle) Mr. Diotrephes apparently was on, what we today would label, an
ego trip.
==========================
-
217) Php 2:4 . . Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but
also to the interests of others.
The "others" in that verse are exclusive. Paul's directive pertains only to the
classification of people to whom he penned his letter; viz: "saints in Christ
Jesus . . together with the overseers and deacons" (Php 1:1)
Seeing as how the Lord expressly forbids selfish ambition amongst his own;
therefore, before proceeding with your ideas, be very sure to ponder all the
possible ramifications of your actions first. Stepping on people's toes, and/or
thwarting their ideas so that yours prevails, fails to satisfy the law of Christ;
which requires believers to love their fellow believers as Christ loves them
(John 15:12). It also fails to satisfy the Golden Rule which says: So in
everything, do to others what you would have them do to you. (Matt 7:12).
Selfish ambition just simply isn't very nice.
218) Php 2:5-8 . .Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something
to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a
servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a
man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-- even death on a
cross.
That's an interesting contrast between the Lord and Adam. He and his wife
made a definite grab for equality with God: and the possibility of that
equality was one of the Serpent's selling points. (Gen 3:4-5)
It is just amazing how well the Lord shelved his God-given prerogatives of
royalty and conducted himself a very regular guy. Even the people with
whom the Lord grew up in his home town had no clue he was so well
connected to their creator.
Can you just imagine, say, entering a building and there's Christ holding the
door open for you? I would be a lots more comfortable the other way
around; but that's just the way he is; Christ has never let either his rank or
his position go to his head. There isn't a pretentious, pompous, ostentatious,
vain, narcissistic, elitist bone in his body.
The Lord reminds me of the opening scenes of "Camelot" where King Arthur,
out walking by himself in the woods, deep in thought and soliloquy, appears
to be such a commoner that Sir Lancelot calls him a coward and challenges
him to a joust.
That same degree of commonness is apparent in the Lord at Luke 24:15-31
where he spoke with two disciples after his resurrection who had no clue
who he really was as there is nothing in either his bearing or his demeanor
that suggested royalty.
†. Matt 11:28-30 . . Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am
meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke
is easy, and my burden is light.
†. John 1:14 . .We beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the
Father, full of grace
Some of the aspects of "grace" are kind, courteous, inclined to good will,
generous, charitable, merciful, altruistic, compassionate, thoughtful, cordial,
affable, genial, sociable, cheerful, warm, sensitive, considerate, and tactful.
Cordial stresses warmth and heartiness
Affable implies easy approachability and readiness to respond pleasantly to
conversation or requests or proposals
Genial stresses cheerfulness and even joviality
Sociable suggests a genuine liking for the companionship of others
Generous is characterized by a noble or forbearing spirit; viz: magnanimous,
kindly, and liberal in giving
Charitable means full of love for, and goodwill toward, others; viz:
benevolent, tolerant, and lenient.
Altruistic means unselfish regard for, or devotion to, the welfare of others;
viz: a desire to be of service to others for no other reason than it just feels
good to do so.
Tactful indicates a keen sense of what to do, or say, in order to maintain
good relations with others in order to resolve and/or avoid unnecessary
conflict.
One morning back in the late 1970's, I arrived at a Saturday morning men's
prayer breakfast at the same time as the #2 pastor of a mega church in San
Diego. He made no movement whatsoever to hold the door for me; but
rather, paused while I held it for him. What did that say about that man's
compliance with item #218? You know when pastors are setting that kind of
an example; what more can they expect from the rank and file?
†. John 13:13-17 . .You call me lord and master: and you say well; for so I
am. If I then, your lord and master, have washed your feet; you also ought
to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you
should do as I have done to you . . If you know these things, blessed are
you if you do them.
That's one of the Lord's unsung beatitudes that should be included along
with those in the sermon on the mount. There's a few others; e.g. Matt
11:6, Luke 11:28, Luke 12:38, and John 20:29.
But there is always that one "king of the mountain" in church who just has
to be head and shoulders above everybody else; for example:
†. 3John 1:9 . . I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have
the preeminence among them, receiveth us not.
Diotrephes not only opposed the apostles; but also excommunicated people
who dared to ally with them. And to think that guy operated not in a Devil
worshipping church, but in a Christ-worshipping church. (3John 1:10)
(chuckle) Mr. Diotrephes apparently was on, what we today would label, an
ego trip.
==========================
Continued From #151
-
219) Php 2:12 . . As you have always obeyed-- work out your own salvation
with fear and trembling
Before explaining what Paul means by that passage; I should first explain
what He doesn't mean by it.
†. Eph 2:5 . . It is by grace you have been saved.
†. Eph 2:8-10 . . For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that
not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one
should boast.
†. Rom 11:6 . . But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works,
otherwise grace is no longer grace.
†. Rom 4:4 . . Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace
but as debt.
Those four statements were all penned by the very same man who penned
Php 2:12; so in order to retain a consistence in his teachings; we have to
understand that the "work" he's talking about in Php 2:12 isn't for the
purpose of earning enough of God's grace to merit escaping the lake of
burning sulfur depicted at Rev 20:11-15.
Working out one's salvation is simply the fulfillment of the statement below--
penned by the same man who penned everything thus far.
†. Eph 2:10 . . For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good
works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
That's a recurring theme throughout Paul's writings. He constantly
encourages Christ's followers to shuck their humanistic ways of doing things
and begin working on ways that please God; for example:
†. Rom 6:12 . . Do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its
evil desires.
†. Rom 6:13 . . Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of
wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been
brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to Him as
instruments of righteousness.
†. Rom 12:1-2 . .Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to
offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-- this is your
spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this
world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be
able to test and approve what God's will is-his good, pleasing and perfect
will.
The phrase "fear and trembling" was one of Paul's favorite colloquialisms; for
example:
†. 1Cor 2:3-4 . . For I determined not to know anything among you except
Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in
much trembling.
And another:
†. Eph 6:5-8 . . Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters
according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to
Christ; not with eye-service, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ,
doing the will of God from the heart, with goodwill doing service, as to the
Lord, and not to men
"fear, and in trembling" doesn't mean Paul recommends shivering like a
frightened cur; but that a believer's attitude should be one of humility and
helpfulness; for example:
Paul was very courteous to the Corinthians, and made himself of no
reputation at all, even though he was one of the Lord's hand-picked apostles
and they were a bunch of pagan heathens at the time who deserved nothing
but the cold shoulder. Paul's attitude rubbed off on the Corinthians because
they in turn deferred to Paul's associates with fear and trembling just as he
had treated them all at one time.
†. 2Cor 7:14-15 . . I had boasted to [Titus] about you, and you have not
embarrassed me. But just as everything we said to you was true, so our
boasting about you to Titus has proved to be true as well. And his affection
for you is all the greater when he remembers that you were all obedient,
receiving him with fear and trembling.
So then, what we're talking about here with "fear and trembling" is honor,
respect, submission, and reverence rather than terror; and it's not the
servile honor, respect, submission, and reverence due a despotic monarch,
but rather the filial kind of honor, respect, submission, and reverence due to
one's parents.
†. Mal 1:6 . . A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If I am a
father, where is the honor due me?
Indeed where? Christians these days are so disinterested in fulfilling Eph
2:10 that it's difficult to discern where they leave off and the world begins.
==========================
-
219) Php 2:12 . . As you have always obeyed-- work out your own salvation
with fear and trembling
Before explaining what Paul means by that passage; I should first explain
what He doesn't mean by it.
†. Eph 2:5 . . It is by grace you have been saved.
†. Eph 2:8-10 . . For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that
not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one
should boast.
†. Rom 11:6 . . But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works,
otherwise grace is no longer grace.
†. Rom 4:4 . . Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace
but as debt.
Those four statements were all penned by the very same man who penned
Php 2:12; so in order to retain a consistence in his teachings; we have to
understand that the "work" he's talking about in Php 2:12 isn't for the
purpose of earning enough of God's grace to merit escaping the lake of
burning sulfur depicted at Rev 20:11-15.
Working out one's salvation is simply the fulfillment of the statement below--
penned by the same man who penned everything thus far.
†. Eph 2:10 . . For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good
works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
That's a recurring theme throughout Paul's writings. He constantly
encourages Christ's followers to shuck their humanistic ways of doing things
and begin working on ways that please God; for example:
†. Rom 6:12 . . Do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its
evil desires.
†. Rom 6:13 . . Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of
wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been
brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to Him as
instruments of righteousness.
†. Rom 12:1-2 . .Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to
offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-- this is your
spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this
world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be
able to test and approve what God's will is-his good, pleasing and perfect
will.
The phrase "fear and trembling" was one of Paul's favorite colloquialisms; for
example:
†. 1Cor 2:3-4 . . For I determined not to know anything among you except
Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in
much trembling.
And another:
†. Eph 6:5-8 . . Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters
according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to
Christ; not with eye-service, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ,
doing the will of God from the heart, with goodwill doing service, as to the
Lord, and not to men
"fear, and in trembling" doesn't mean Paul recommends shivering like a
frightened cur; but that a believer's attitude should be one of humility and
helpfulness; for example:
Paul was very courteous to the Corinthians, and made himself of no
reputation at all, even though he was one of the Lord's hand-picked apostles
and they were a bunch of pagan heathens at the time who deserved nothing
but the cold shoulder. Paul's attitude rubbed off on the Corinthians because
they in turn deferred to Paul's associates with fear and trembling just as he
had treated them all at one time.
†. 2Cor 7:14-15 . . I had boasted to [Titus] about you, and you have not
embarrassed me. But just as everything we said to you was true, so our
boasting about you to Titus has proved to be true as well. And his affection
for you is all the greater when he remembers that you were all obedient,
receiving him with fear and trembling.
So then, what we're talking about here with "fear and trembling" is honor,
respect, submission, and reverence rather than terror; and it's not the
servile honor, respect, submission, and reverence due a despotic monarch,
but rather the filial kind of honor, respect, submission, and reverence due to
one's parents.
†. Mal 1:6 . . A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If I am a
father, where is the honor due me?
Indeed where? Christians these days are so disinterested in fulfilling Eph
2:10 that it's difficult to discern where they leave off and the world begins.
==========================
Continued From #152
-
220) Php 2:14 . . Do everything without grumbling or debating
It used to be an understood rule of thumb in the US Army that GIs could
complain all they wanted just so long as they did what they were told. Well;
Christ isn't pleased with that.
†. Col 3:23 . .Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for
the Lord, not for men.
The problem with grumbling is that it's an attitude of rebellion; for example:
†. Num 21:5-6 . . And the people spoke against God and Moses saying: Why
have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no
food and no water, and we loathe this miserable food.
Well; long story short, God punished the people's grumbling by sending a
swarm of deadly reptiles among them, and many bitten by the reptiles died
because the venom was very lethal.
The word for "debating" is dialogismos (dee-al-og-is-mos') which is
sometimes translated "evil thoughts" for example:
†. Matt 15:19 . . For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders,
adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.
Dialogismos sometimes keeps people awake at night as they obsessively re
wind and re-play a conflict with somebody over, and over, and over again in
their heads.
221) Php 3:1 . . Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord!
The koiné Greek word for "brethren" is adelphos (ad-el-fos') which is a
masculine noun for a male relative. But it's use is flexible. Adelphos can also
include one's female relatives too; I mean; after all, men and women are all
siblings around the table in God's home. And when Paul wrote to a church,
he oftentimes used the word adelphos to address the entire congregation.
Rejoicing "in the Lord" is way different than rejoicing in yourself; which is
vulnerable to one's mood and/or circumstances. The Lord once told his
disciples that they shouldn't rejoice that demons obeyed them, but rather,
that their names were written in Heaven. (Luke 10:20)
†. Col 3:1-4 . . Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your
hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set
your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your
life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears,
then you also will appear with him in glory.
When peace like a river attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, thou has taught me to say :
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
Horatio P. Spafford
1828-1888
==========================
-
220) Php 2:14 . . Do everything without grumbling or debating
It used to be an understood rule of thumb in the US Army that GIs could
complain all they wanted just so long as they did what they were told. Well;
Christ isn't pleased with that.
†. Col 3:23 . .Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for
the Lord, not for men.
The problem with grumbling is that it's an attitude of rebellion; for example:
†. Num 21:5-6 . . And the people spoke against God and Moses saying: Why
have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no
food and no water, and we loathe this miserable food.
Well; long story short, God punished the people's grumbling by sending a
swarm of deadly reptiles among them, and many bitten by the reptiles died
because the venom was very lethal.
The word for "debating" is dialogismos (dee-al-og-is-mos') which is
sometimes translated "evil thoughts" for example:
†. Matt 15:19 . . For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders,
adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.
Dialogismos sometimes keeps people awake at night as they obsessively re
wind and re-play a conflict with somebody over, and over, and over again in
their heads.
221) Php 3:1 . . Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord!
The koiné Greek word for "brethren" is adelphos (ad-el-fos') which is a
masculine noun for a male relative. But it's use is flexible. Adelphos can also
include one's female relatives too; I mean; after all, men and women are all
siblings around the table in God's home. And when Paul wrote to a church,
he oftentimes used the word adelphos to address the entire congregation.
Rejoicing "in the Lord" is way different than rejoicing in yourself; which is
vulnerable to one's mood and/or circumstances. The Lord once told his
disciples that they shouldn't rejoice that demons obeyed them, but rather,
that their names were written in Heaven. (Luke 10:20)
†. Col 3:1-4 . . Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your
hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set
your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your
life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears,
then you also will appear with him in glory.
When peace like a river attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, thou has taught me to say :
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
Horatio P. Spafford
1828-1888
==========================
Continued From #153
-
222) Php 3:2a . . Beware of dogs,
Paul here isn't speaking of household pets, but rather the kind that are a
danger to human life and safety; for example:
†. Matt 7:6 . . Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your
pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again
and rend you.
There are also guard dogs; which would correspond to people so passionate
and protective of their religion of choice that they will literally kill people who
refuse to agree with them.
†. Ps 22:16 . . Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled
me, they have pierced my hands and my feet.
The "dogs" in that passage were Israel's religious elite.
†. John 12:19 . .The Pharisees therefore said to one another: You see that
you are not doing any good; look, the world has gone after him.
Pilate caught on right quick that the Jews weren't after Christ's blood on
account of crime; but because of envy (Matt 27:18). In other words: Christ
was an effective rival that had to be taken out. Christians have really got to
watch their backs around zealots like that crazy enough to murder people
who dare to oppose their belief systems.
=========================
-
222) Php 3:2a . . Beware of dogs,
Paul here isn't speaking of household pets, but rather the kind that are a
danger to human life and safety; for example:
†. Matt 7:6 . . Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your
pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again
and rend you.
There are also guard dogs; which would correspond to people so passionate
and protective of their religion of choice that they will literally kill people who
refuse to agree with them.
†. Ps 22:16 . . Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled
me, they have pierced my hands and my feet.
The "dogs" in that passage were Israel's religious elite.
†. John 12:19 . .The Pharisees therefore said to one another: You see that
you are not doing any good; look, the world has gone after him.
Pilate caught on right quick that the Jews weren't after Christ's blood on
account of crime; but because of envy (Matt 27:18). In other words: Christ
was an effective rival that had to be taken out. Christians have really got to
watch their backs around zealots like that crazy enough to murder people
who dare to oppose their belief systems.
=========================
Continued From #154
-
223) Php 3:2b . . Beware of evil workers,
"evil workers" probably indicates ersatz evangelists like Mormons and
Jehovah's Witnesses. In that day, it was probably local followers of Judaism
in the city of Philippi who went about proselytizing Christians.
224) Php 3:2c . . Beware of mutilation.
Mutilation in this particular instance isn't criminal mutilation, but rather,
refers to voluntary ritual circumcision; which merely removes physical flesh
but does nothing to remove spiritual flesh, viz: human nature. For that kind
of circumcision; one must undergo a supernatural procedure; one performed
by an act of God rather than by one of the world's surgeons.
†. Col 2:11-12 . . In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the
sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the
circumcision done by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism and
raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from
the dead.
225) Php 3:17 . . Join with others in following my example, brothers, and
take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. For, as I
have often told you before, and now say, again even with tears: many live
as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is
their appetites, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly
things.
Some people just can't seem to get it through their thick skulls that when
somebody pins the Christian label on themselves; it obligates them to act
like one.
†. 2Tim 2:19 . . Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from
iniquity.
Is the Lord saying that Christians who live as the enemies of the cross of
Christ are going to Hell? Yes; of course, their destiny is destruction. And the
reason is: those kinds of Christians typically fail to undergo the supernatural
circumcision mentioned in Col 2:11-12. Hence; they have a name that they
live; but are actually quite dead on the hoof; ergo: every church contains
two basic kinds of Christians-- those who follow Paul's example, and those
who follow their own example.
226) Php 4:4 . . Rejoice in the Lord always. I say again: Rejoice!
Words and grammar in the Bible convey information; otherwise language
serves no useful purpose. When the Lord says "always" he means always or
he wouldn't say always. So then, part-time rejoicers in the Lord are failing to
comply with God's wishes.
There is a joy available from Christ that's able to overcome all the sadness
this world can possibly throw at you.
†. John 15:11 . .These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might
remain in you, and that your own joy might be full.
The koiné Greek word for "joy" in that verse is chara (khar-ah') which
doesn't mean ecstasy; but rather: cheerfulness; viz: calm delight and/or
gladness; in other words: pacific. This doesn't mean believers should be
bubbling over all the time; but it sure does mean they shouldn't be
overwhelmed with feelings of despair all the time; or even some of the time.
Paul says to rejoice "always" which of course is beyond human capability;
but not beyond the Spirit's.
†. Gal 5:22 . .The fruit of the Spirit is joy.
The fruit of the Spirit is available only to Christians whose lives exemplify
Christian standards of conduct.
†. Eph 5:9 . . The fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and
truth
†. John 16:33 . .These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might
have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I
have overcome the world.
================================
-
223) Php 3:2b . . Beware of evil workers,
"evil workers" probably indicates ersatz evangelists like Mormons and
Jehovah's Witnesses. In that day, it was probably local followers of Judaism
in the city of Philippi who went about proselytizing Christians.
224) Php 3:2c . . Beware of mutilation.
Mutilation in this particular instance isn't criminal mutilation, but rather,
refers to voluntary ritual circumcision; which merely removes physical flesh
but does nothing to remove spiritual flesh, viz: human nature. For that kind
of circumcision; one must undergo a supernatural procedure; one performed
by an act of God rather than by one of the world's surgeons.
†. Col 2:11-12 . . In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the
sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the
circumcision done by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism and
raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from
the dead.
225) Php 3:17 . . Join with others in following my example, brothers, and
take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. For, as I
have often told you before, and now say, again even with tears: many live
as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is
their appetites, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly
things.
Some people just can't seem to get it through their thick skulls that when
somebody pins the Christian label on themselves; it obligates them to act
like one.
†. 2Tim 2:19 . . Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from
iniquity.
Is the Lord saying that Christians who live as the enemies of the cross of
Christ are going to Hell? Yes; of course, their destiny is destruction. And the
reason is: those kinds of Christians typically fail to undergo the supernatural
circumcision mentioned in Col 2:11-12. Hence; they have a name that they
live; but are actually quite dead on the hoof; ergo: every church contains
two basic kinds of Christians-- those who follow Paul's example, and those
who follow their own example.
226) Php 4:4 . . Rejoice in the Lord always. I say again: Rejoice!
Words and grammar in the Bible convey information; otherwise language
serves no useful purpose. When the Lord says "always" he means always or
he wouldn't say always. So then, part-time rejoicers in the Lord are failing to
comply with God's wishes.
There is a joy available from Christ that's able to overcome all the sadness
this world can possibly throw at you.
†. John 15:11 . .These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might
remain in you, and that your own joy might be full.
The koiné Greek word for "joy" in that verse is chara (khar-ah') which
doesn't mean ecstasy; but rather: cheerfulness; viz: calm delight and/or
gladness; in other words: pacific. This doesn't mean believers should be
bubbling over all the time; but it sure does mean they shouldn't be
overwhelmed with feelings of despair all the time; or even some of the time.
Paul says to rejoice "always" which of course is beyond human capability;
but not beyond the Spirit's.
†. Gal 5:22 . .The fruit of the Spirit is joy.
The fruit of the Spirit is available only to Christians whose lives exemplify
Christian standards of conduct.
†. Eph 5:9 . . The fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and
truth
†. John 16:33 . .These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might
have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I
have overcome the world.
================================
Continued From #158
-
227) Php 4:5 . . Let your gentleness be evident to all.
The koiné Greek word for "gentleness" is epieikes (ep-ee-i-kace') which
essentially means: mild.
Webster's defines "mild" as gentle in nature or behavior, moderate in action
or effect; not sharp or bitter.
Though a mild person is affable, they aren't necessarily a wimp; no, they're
just difficult to provoke. The quite opposite would be a thin skinned,
reactive, defensive personality that goes to war at the drop of a hat.
Mild people don't threaten, nor come at you with bared teeth and narrowed
eyes. They're reasonable and rational, rather than emotional and reactive.
Assertive, confrontational people have no clue what it is to be mild; and
those are the very ones losing sleep with evil thoughts as they obsessively
re-wind and re-play a conflict with somebody in their heads over, and over,
and over again.
†. Matt 5:5 . . Blessed are the meek.
Moses was meek (Num 12:3) and Christ was meek (Matt 11:29, Matt 21:5).
Personally I wouldn't categorize either of those two men as meek. So then,
what really is meekness?
Primarily, to be meek, in the Biblical sense of the word, is to be temperate.
A temperate person isn't eo ipso a cowering milk toast. Anybody who's
studied the life of Moses and Christ can easily testify that neither of those
men were timid; no, they walked softly and carried a big stick. Never
mistake true meekness for a yellow streak.
Jacob and his dad Isaac were temperate men; but could be very strong
when the situation called for it. Temperate people pick their battles carefully,
and never waste anger and energy on trifles.
There are Christians in this world who're simply implacable. They just cannot
live and let live. Turning the other cheek is to them a worn-out cliché that no
one takes seriously anymore. For them rivalry, conflict, revenge,
competition, retaliation, recriminations, and grudging are a way of life: every
disagreement is an act of war-- they're peevish, emotional, bitter, harsh,
unkind, cruel, thoughtless, and reactive; and they thrive on complaining,
criticism, chafing, carping, finding fault, tattling, bickering, retort upon
retort, rejoinder upon rejoinder, sarcasm, endless debate, telling other
people off, gainsaying, and getting in people's faces and giving them a piece
of their mind.
It seems like those people are always getting indignant about some petty
outrage or another. Well; those kinds of Christians are definitely not in the
temperate category. They're hellians in gross violation of Paul's directive to
"Let your gentleness be evident to all." Instead; these people let their wrath
be evident to all because when they're upset; they want everybody to know
it.
Heaven is characterized as a place of peace. That being so, then intemperate
people are not allowed to go there because they would just make everybody
feel intimidated and unhappy.
=========================================
-
227) Php 4:5 . . Let your gentleness be evident to all.
The koiné Greek word for "gentleness" is epieikes (ep-ee-i-kace') which
essentially means: mild.
Webster's defines "mild" as gentle in nature or behavior, moderate in action
or effect; not sharp or bitter.
Though a mild person is affable, they aren't necessarily a wimp; no, they're
just difficult to provoke. The quite opposite would be a thin skinned,
reactive, defensive personality that goes to war at the drop of a hat.
Mild people don't threaten, nor come at you with bared teeth and narrowed
eyes. They're reasonable and rational, rather than emotional and reactive.
Assertive, confrontational people have no clue what it is to be mild; and
those are the very ones losing sleep with evil thoughts as they obsessively
re-wind and re-play a conflict with somebody in their heads over, and over,
and over again.
†. Matt 5:5 . . Blessed are the meek.
Moses was meek (Num 12:3) and Christ was meek (Matt 11:29, Matt 21:5).
Personally I wouldn't categorize either of those two men as meek. So then,
what really is meekness?
Primarily, to be meek, in the Biblical sense of the word, is to be temperate.
A temperate person isn't eo ipso a cowering milk toast. Anybody who's
studied the life of Moses and Christ can easily testify that neither of those
men were timid; no, they walked softly and carried a big stick. Never
mistake true meekness for a yellow streak.
Jacob and his dad Isaac were temperate men; but could be very strong
when the situation called for it. Temperate people pick their battles carefully,
and never waste anger and energy on trifles.
There are Christians in this world who're simply implacable. They just cannot
live and let live. Turning the other cheek is to them a worn-out cliché that no
one takes seriously anymore. For them rivalry, conflict, revenge,
competition, retaliation, recriminations, and grudging are a way of life: every
disagreement is an act of war-- they're peevish, emotional, bitter, harsh,
unkind, cruel, thoughtless, and reactive; and they thrive on complaining,
criticism, chafing, carping, finding fault, tattling, bickering, retort upon
retort, rejoinder upon rejoinder, sarcasm, endless debate, telling other
people off, gainsaying, and getting in people's faces and giving them a piece
of their mind.
It seems like those people are always getting indignant about some petty
outrage or another. Well; those kinds of Christians are definitely not in the
temperate category. They're hellians in gross violation of Paul's directive to
"Let your gentleness be evident to all." Instead; these people let their wrath
be evident to all because when they're upset; they want everybody to know
it.
Heaven is characterized as a place of peace. That being so, then intemperate
people are not allowed to go there because they would just make everybody
feel intimidated and unhappy.
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Continued From #159
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228) Php 4:6 . . Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by
prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Webster's defines "anxiety" as: characterized by extreme uneasiness of
mind, or brooding fear about some contingency; viz: worry-- which implies
an incessant goading, or attacking, that drives one to desperation.
If believers were never to be anxious then there would be little, if any, need
to pray and share one's concerns with their father in Heaven. The point
here, is to avoid desperation. When people get desperate, they start making
mistakes; and some of those mistakes can be life-changing; and cause
permanent damage.
Tuesday, Aug 04, 2009 a deranged man named George Sodini walked into
an LA Fitness gym in Philadelphia and gunned down twelve women in an
exercise class. His impetus? According to information police later found on
his blog, the 48 year-old man was in a mental state brought on by his long
held personal conviction that not one woman in the whole world could
possibly love him. In his mind; women were a threat to his survival-- cruel,
venomous sirens whose mission in life is to torment males and make them
unhappy. No doubt in Sodini's thinking, murdering those women was
justifiable revenge for what females had done to him all his life.
His case is extreme, yes, but it serves to illustrate what happens to people
when they let desperation gnaw at their nerves for too long a time. Pretty
soon they crack and do something irrational.
For a believer on the verge of desperation; their Father may or may not
remove the source of their concerns, but at least He's at hand to protect
them from going too far off the deep end; unless of course their nervous
condition is related to a sin unto death. (cf. Rom 8:13, 1John 5:16-17)
†. Php 4:7 . . And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding,
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
229) Php 4:8 . . Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble,
whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is
admirable-- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy --think about such
things.
It's a common practice among emergency medical service personnel to get
a patient's mind off their injuries by distracting them with a barrage of
questions and/or chit-chat because thoughts and emotions have power to
make things worse.
Sometimes late at night when negative thoughts start festering in my mind
enough to keep me awake, I get up and do something like watch a
documentary on NetFlix, or a movie on DVD, play a video game, read a
book, or work on the computer. Just getting my mind on something besides
those negative thoughts really helps restore my peace of mind so I can go
back to bed and get some sleep. Paul's directive makes good mental-health
sense.
=========================================
-
228) Php 4:6 . . Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by
prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Webster's defines "anxiety" as: characterized by extreme uneasiness of
mind, or brooding fear about some contingency; viz: worry-- which implies
an incessant goading, or attacking, that drives one to desperation.
If believers were never to be anxious then there would be little, if any, need
to pray and share one's concerns with their father in Heaven. The point
here, is to avoid desperation. When people get desperate, they start making
mistakes; and some of those mistakes can be life-changing; and cause
permanent damage.
Tuesday, Aug 04, 2009 a deranged man named George Sodini walked into
an LA Fitness gym in Philadelphia and gunned down twelve women in an
exercise class. His impetus? According to information police later found on
his blog, the 48 year-old man was in a mental state brought on by his long
held personal conviction that not one woman in the whole world could
possibly love him. In his mind; women were a threat to his survival-- cruel,
venomous sirens whose mission in life is to torment males and make them
unhappy. No doubt in Sodini's thinking, murdering those women was
justifiable revenge for what females had done to him all his life.
His case is extreme, yes, but it serves to illustrate what happens to people
when they let desperation gnaw at their nerves for too long a time. Pretty
soon they crack and do something irrational.
For a believer on the verge of desperation; their Father may or may not
remove the source of their concerns, but at least He's at hand to protect
them from going too far off the deep end; unless of course their nervous
condition is related to a sin unto death. (cf. Rom 8:13, 1John 5:16-17)
†. Php 4:7 . . And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding,
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
229) Php 4:8 . . Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble,
whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is
admirable-- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy --think about such
things.
It's a common practice among emergency medical service personnel to get
a patient's mind off their injuries by distracting them with a barrage of
questions and/or chit-chat because thoughts and emotions have power to
make things worse.
Sometimes late at night when negative thoughts start festering in my mind
enough to keep me awake, I get up and do something like watch a
documentary on NetFlix, or a movie on DVD, play a video game, read a
book, or work on the computer. Just getting my mind on something besides
those negative thoughts really helps restore my peace of mind so I can go
back to bed and get some sleep. Paul's directive makes good mental-health
sense.
=========================================