Walk With Wayne

It Has Been Awhile

2011-07-17T14:14:00.000-07:00

Guess the time just comes when you know it is time to jump back in and say hello to everyone. It has been awhile. I have been doing some other writings, just not blogging on the internet. After reading some of the things some of the writings from other preachers from the main denomination I have been writing about I can tell Ihave grown and moved on. How refreshing that is. The arrogant I know more than you do going to hell no matter what you do attitude has been removed Thank You Jesus. I maybe back again one day but not on this blog. The Walk with Wayne will be a Walk With Jesus, much better I promise you. Thanks for your comments and excuse any other comments that hackers have made on this. Apparently if you dont use your blog on a regular basis someone else will. God bless you all and never ever give up on God. He will not fail you .........

TRANSPARENCY #19

2009-09-08T06:43:00.000-07:00

Jesus said, "There is a judge for the one who rejects Me and does not accept My words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him in the last day."(Jn. 12:48)(N.I.V.) Jesus also said, "Heaven and earth shall pass away: but My words shall pass away."(Lk. 21:33)(K.J.V.) He said, "...He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life..."(Jn. 5:24)(K.J.V.) And He said, "...If ye continue in My word, then are ye My disciples indeed."(Jn. 8:31)(K.J.V.)
Jesus' words did not disappear when He left the earth. He told His disciples He would send "...the Comforter..."(Jn. 16:7)(K.J.V.) And the Holy Spirit, He told them, "...will guide you into all truth..." "...whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak..."(Jn. 16:13)(K.J.V.)
Paul would later say, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly..."(Col. 3:16)(K.J.V.) And James wrote, "...be ye doers of the word...'(Ja. 1:22)(K.J.V.) It is no wonder, after what Jesus had said about the Holy Spirit guiding them that Paul would later say, "...take...the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."(Eph. 6:17)(K.J.V.)
The Holy Spirit continued to convey the will of Jesus in words. And these words, if one truly knows Jesus, are more than just statements of doctrine or theology, or development of models for worship or church polity. These words go to the center of what kind of people Christians should be and how they should treat one another. Jesus' life depicted that and His words direct us to that way of life.
In these few writings I have done I have attempted to define the negative ways folks treat one another by pointing to the use of words by the Holy Spirit that teach such things. The confessional transparency of brothers, it seems, means very little to some. And the directives of the Holy Spirit prove that without a shadow of a doubt.
In this last writing on this subject I hope simply to summarize the negative ways the Holy Spirit says men treat one another.
Again, I give credit to Spiros Zodhiates for the definitions of the words. There are numerous other lexicographers who could have been referred to like Thayer, Arndt and Gingrich, etc. It would be hard to estimate how long it took to do this study. Zodhiates' Word Study is about 1500 pages long and I literally went through every letter of the Greek alphabet from alpha to omega selecting the negative ways one can treat another. I know it took weeks if not months to do this. If one person is converted from the error of negativism and looking down a self-righteous nose at others and mistreating transparent brothers the effort will have been worth it.
So in capsule form here are the ways some treat others' transparency.

"destroy" "consume" "wish evil against" "curse" "defraud" "hurt" "treat with indignity" "pretend" "extortion" "ungentle" "unmerciful" "not compassionate" "deceitful" "damage" "harm" "burdensome" "slander" "to hurt reputation or smite with reports or words" "verbal abuse against someone" "destroying one's good name" "contention" "false accuser" "perjurer" "to swear falsely" "throw out" "hostility" "enmity" "misuse" "accuse falsely" "love of strife" "rivalry" "avenger" "treat with scorn" "bursts of anger" "afflict" "trouble" "jealousy" "envy" "to judge" "fraud" "to go to law" "hinder" "wish anyone evil or ruin" "to speak against" "slander" "to speak evil of" "pronounce sentence against" "oppress harshly" "give judgment against" "injury" "malice" "prone to anger" "wrath as an outburst of a vengeful mind" "to hate" "active ill will" "reproach" "one depriving another of his property openly" "take advantage of someone" "defrauder for gain" "be a busybody" "shrewdness" "the employment of any means necessary to reach an end" "accuse falsely" "unjust" "proud" "highminded" "to make a secret agreement" "persecuter of others" "to act spitefully" "evil statements" "pain felt at the sight of excellence" "to overflow with talk" "and idle or triffling tattler" "to speak deceitfully" "lying or false witness" "a lie" "a secret slander" "whispering" "showing special favors...to the influential in order to gain personal advantage and profit" "a person who is eager to gain even if such gain degrades his character" "refuses to lay aside...enmity or to listen to terms of reconciliation"

In conclusion, the Greek word "ought" also speaks directly to the characters of above repute.
"...if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another."(I Jn. 4:11)(K.J.V.)
"He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked."(I Jn. 2:6)(K.J.V.)
"...we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard..."(Heb. 2:1)(K.J.V.)
"...ye ought rather to forgive him..."(II Cor. 2:7)(K.J.V.)
"We...ought to bear the infirmities of the weak..."(Ro. 15:1)(K.J.V.)
"...to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think...'(Ro. 12:3)(K.J.V.)
"...we ought to obey God rather than men."(Acts 5:29)(K.J.V.)
"...justice, mercy and faithfulness...You ought to have practiced..."(Mt. 23:23)(N.I.V.)
"...tattlers...and busy bodies...speaking things which they ought not..."(I Tim. 5:13)(K.J.V.)
"Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren these things ought not so to be."(Ja. 3:10)(K.J.V.)

TRANSPARENCY #18

2009-09-04T07:18:00.000-07:00

One morning this week I was talking with a person I love dearly. We were talking about our shortcomings in life and that person made the comment: "I hope I am forgiven." That individual is a church goer, and has been for years, a true believer in Jesus Christ, and one who I know has repented of and confessed sins numerous times, and probably in her daily prayers continues to do so.
Her statement made me wonder what in the world causes such a person to doubt forgiveness. There might be a number of things of the world. It is a guarantee that the Lord never provoked such an idea in the head of one of His children who was so transparent. So what in the world would cause her to feel that way? I believe it is the fruit of negativism that is working in her life. I believe it is the persistent pressure of the negativists of this world. And I further believe she has been constantly bombarded with carping, captious, and cruel criticism for years.
The Holy Spirit knew that God's humble children would meet such discouragement so He gave us a long list of negative behaviors to expect from those who refuse to honor the confessional transparency of their brothers.

psi negative responses

pseudadelphos--"...false brothers..." "...denotes those who had become outwardly members of the Christian church, sharers in its fellowship of life and love, but in reality were not so inwardly."
"...because of (some men who were Christians in name only), false brethren(pseudadelphous) who had been secretly smuggled in(to the Christian brotherhood); they had slipped in to spy out our liberty and the freedom which we have in Christ Jesus,..."(Gal. 2:4)(Amplified)
"Many times on journeys, (exposed to)...perils from those posing as believers(pseudadelphois)-but destitute of Christian knowledge and piety;"(II Cor. 11:26)(Amplified)

pseudomai--"...to speak falsely or deceitfully..." "...to defraud..." "...falsify..."
"Lie(pseudesthe) not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;"(Col. 3:9)(K.J.V.)
"A trustworthy witness will not lie,(pseudetai) But a false witness utters lies."(pseude)(Prov. 14:5)(N.A.S.B.)

pseudomartus--"...a lying or false witness..."
"...the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witnesses(pseudomarturian) against Jesus, to put Him to death;..."(Mt. 26:59)(K.J.V.)

pseudomartureo--"...to bear false witness..."
"For many bare false witness(epseudomarturoun) against Him, but their witness agreed not together."(Mark 14:56)(K.J.V.)

pseudos--"...a lie..." "Lying in general..."
"Therefore, rejecting all falsity(pseudos) and done now with it, let every one express the truth with his neighbor, for we are all parts of one body and members one of another."(Eph. 4:25)(Amplified)
"...the devil..." "...he is a liar,(pseustes) and the father of it."(Jn. 8:44)(K.J.V.)

psithurismos--"...whispering...particularly of slander...hurtful gossip..."
"For I am fearful lest somehow or other I may come and find you not what I desire to find you...lest perhaps there may be factions(quarreling), jealousy, temper(wrath, intrigues, rivalry, divided loyalties), selfishness, whispering,(psithurismoi) gossip, arrogance,(self-assertion) and disorder among you."(II Cor. 12:20)(Amplified)

psithuristeas--"...a secret slanderer..."
"...God gave them over to a base and condemned mind...(They were) secret backbiters and gossipers,"(psithuristas)(Ro. 1:28-29)(Amplified)

TRANSPARENCY #17

2009-09-04T05:05:00.000-07:00

Just two more blogs after this one and I will be finished with the negative ways men treat the true confessional transparency of sinful brothers. I want to thank those who have read and responded to my writings. You are encouraging and benevolent in your comments. I have no way of knowing how many are reading these because my counter quit at 1400. I am sure, as some have suggested, that I have been writing for a reason, perhaps personal. I don't know. I do know that I enjoy studying scripture and this is an avenue through which I can share some of my studies and I appreciate your comments. Some comments have come from out of the country, some have suggested I write a book, some just express gratitude for scriptural study. I do not, in my opinion, deserve any handclaps about my writing, and that is not false humility as some of the negativists might suggest....
I hope to study a few more words in the next two writings and in the last I hope to summarize all the negatives from Alpha to Omega in just a few words.
I have wondered as I have done this study if it were possible that a person can negatively endanger himself or herself spiritually by persisting in negative attitudes toward the true confessional transparency of others.
For years I studied the tenth chapter of Acts. Recently, due to personal circumstances, something unique to me, resulting from a study of this passage, has occurred to me. I think I missed some of the "necessary inferences" that have been there all the time.
Peter was an apostle. There is no doubt he was Spirit filled.(Acts 2) And there is no doubt he was inspired and his writings were inspired. (Jn. 14)(Jn. 16)(I &II Peter) There is something about Acts 10 that "infers" that even men with such spiritual power might need a little nudging and instruction to completely grasp the height and depth of God's love and His unlimited grace and mercy. Jesus had already given the great expanse of God's love.(Jn. 3:16) And after Peter got the whole picture he was later to write that God is "...not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."(II Pet. 3:9)(N.I.V.) However the account in Acts 10 reveals that Peter at this point was not so convinced of that fact. So God presented him with a miraculous object lesson.(Acts 10:9-16) And Peter's theology was shaken and reformed. The lesson came through a divine messenger, a miraculous vision and a direct word from the Holy Spirit. The gospel and God's forgiveness is for all, so go preach to a Gentile. And when he did go he made a comment that should sober the negativist of any day. It was profound, striking and went to the heart of God's dealings with men. Peter said: "God has shown me that I should not call any man impure or unclean."(Acts 10:28)(N.I.V.) And that is exactly what God had told him. "Do not call anything impure that God has made clean."(Acts 10:11)(N.I.V.)
What a lesson! Peter listened to God. Hundreds of years earlier Jonah had gotten the same lesson. Go preach to the Ninevites he was told. He ran from the truth. Some believe he went as far as present day Spain trying to escape the fact that it was possible for those to repent that he thought were unworthy of repentance. God gave him an object lesson in the form of the belly of a big fish.
It is strange just how stubborn some can be about God's forgiveness and its total unlimited nature. And to what degree they will go to circumvent the fact of God's forgiveness to all sinners. After Jonah had preached and the Ninevites had repented, scripture says Jonah was "...displeased...exceedingly...and he was very angry..."(Jonah 4:1)(K.J.V.) He knew the truth about God. He said of God. "You are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness, and (when sinners turn to You and meet Your conditions;) You revoke the sentence of evil against them."(Jonah 4:2)(Amplified)
Those who know this account realize that Jonah was so distraught over these people being able to repent that he literally asked God to take his life. God simply asked him the question: "Do you do well to be angry?"(Jonah 4:9)(Amplified)
Is it possible that the nay-sayers of our day need object lessons like Peter and Jonah got. What is the problem with other people being forgiven. What is the problem with confessional transparency in other folks' lives. God offered mercy, kindness, forgiveness, revoking of a death sentence, purity and cleanliness. He still does to all men, even to blatant sinners. But there are still those who are "...displeased..." that some could possibly receive the forgiveness of God.
The Holy Spirit knew there were and would be those who would limit God's forgiveness to their own prejudiced form of religion. So he listed numerous possible human responses to their fellowmen.

phi negative responses
phaulos--"...evil deeds..." "...statements..."
"For every wrongdoer(phaula) hates (loathes, detests) the light and will not come out into the light, but shrinks from it, lest his works-his deeds, his activities, his conduct-be exposed and reproved."(Jn. 3:20)(Amplified)
"For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil (phalon) work."(Ja. 3:16)(K.J.V.)

phtheiro--"...to spoil...in a moral or spiritual sense..."
"Make room for us; no one we wronged, no one we ruined,(ephtheiramen) no one we exploited."(II Cor. 7:2)(Interlinear) "...we have defrauded no man."(K.J.V.)

phthoneo--"...to envy..."
"Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying(phthonountes) one another."(Gal. 5:26)(K.J.V.)

phthonos--"...pain felt and malignity conceived at the sight of excellence or happiness..."
"...he knew that it was out of spite(phthonon) that they had brought Jesus before him."(Mt. 27:18)(N.E.B.)
"...they did not like to retain God in their knowledge..." "...being..." "...full of envy..."(phthonou)(Ro. 1:29-30)(K.J.V.)
"...the works of the flesh are..." "...envyings..."(phthonoi)(Gal. 5:19,21)(K.J.V.)
"...be done with every trace of wickedness(depravity, malignity) and all deceit and insincerity(pretense, hypocrisy) and grudges(envy, jealousy)(phthonous) and slander and evil speaking of every kind."(I Pet. 2:1)(Amplified)

phuluareo--"...to overflow with talk..." "...chatter..." "...talk in an idle, trifling manner against someone..." "...talking...falsely.."
"So when I arrive, I will call attention to what he is doing, his boiling over and casting malicious reflections upon us with insinuating language.(phluaron) And not satisfied with that, he refuses to receive and welcome the (missionary) brethren himself, and also interferes with and forbids those who would welcome them, and tries to expel (excommunicate) them from the church."(II Jn. 1:10)(Amplified)

phluaros--"...to boil..." "...an idle or trifling tattler..."
"...they learn to be...tattlers(phluaroi) also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not."(I Tim. 5:13)(K.J.V.)

phrenapates--"...deceiver..."
"...there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers..."(phrenapatai)(Titus 1:10)(K.J.V.)

TRANSPARENCY #16

2009-09-01T12:34:00.000-07:00

The gospel is God's simple plan to save mens' souls.(Ro. 1:16) It is the story of the loving heart of God expressed to a world full of sinners. The expression came by way of the sacrifice of God's only begotten Son. And it was real, not imagined, and culminated by that Son hanging from spikes on a cruel and crude piece of wood.
Resurrection morning came and not too far from that piece of wood Jesus came out of that rock-hewn tomb a triumphant Savior.(Ro. 1:4) He later ascended to heaven and there awaits His return to gather up His flock and return with them to Paradise.(Acts 1:11)(I Thess. 4:14,17) But before He left here, after His resurrection, He gave His apostles a simple way of salvation.(Mt. 28:18-20) And that way is extended to all men.(Jn. 3:16) And by that way men can become the children of God.(I Jn. 3:2)
Certainly He expects our behavior to be representative of those who are Sons of God. "...ye are the salt of the earth..."(Mt. 5:13)(K.J.V.) "...forgive men their trespasses..."(Mt. 6:14)(K.J.V.) "...when ye pray..."(Mt. 6:7)(K.J.V.) "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth...'(Mt. 6:19)(K.J.V.) "Judge not..."(Mt. 7:1)(K.J.V.) "...cast out the beam out of thine own eye..."(Mt. 7:5)(K.J.V.) "Enter ye in at the strait gate..."(Mt. 7:13)(K.J.V.) "Beware of false prophets..."(Mt. 7:15)(K.J.V.) Numerous passages could be cited pertaining to the expected morality and behavior of God's children, their growth, maturity, dedication, conviction and commitment.
But aren't we thankful God understands each one of us? He knows our weaknesses, our inconsistencies, our failures, our immaturity, our faithlessness. He knows our natures. And He conveys to us how He planned to handle that after we became His sons. "...He is faithful and just(true to His own nature and promises) and will forgive our sins(dismiss our lawlessness) and continuously cleanse us from all unrighteousness--everything not in conformity to His will..."(I Jn. 1:8)(Amplified)
The one important fact about being transparent before God is that when done honestly we come to terms with the fact that we are all truly sinful and in need of that kind of treatment from God.
I am so thankful that Jesus gave us practical and real life lessons about sin, transparency and God's forgiveness. He told the story of the "...two sons..."(Lk. 15:11-32) as an illustration. He told the truth about Peter's denials.(Mt. 26:68-75) He recounted the facts about Paul's early failure.(Acts 7:58)(Acts 9:1-2) John's transparency about sin was noted.(I Jn. 1:8) David's murderous and adulterous life and his forgiveness were written for our reading.(Ps. 32:1-5)(Ps. 51:1-3) Numbers of other accounts of mens' weaknesses and God's willing forgiveness are recorded.
When I fall down on my knees I know there is more than an outside chance that I am forgiven. My transparency does not go unnoticed. David said "I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined unto me and heard my cry." "He brought me up also out of the horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings."(Ps. 40:1-2)(K.J.V.)
We have used the example of a man drowning in a lake. A passer-by stops and throws the man a rope. We compared the throwing of the rope and the reaching out by the man for the rope as the way of forgiveness. As all examples are this probably was a weak one. Sad not, however, that there are those in this world who are so calloused that they would hear the screams of the penitent sinner, the lost, have the rope and simply pass by the miserable person and look the other way.
The Holy Spirit knew there would be negative characters like that who treated their fellow man is such negative ways. So He filled the N.T. with possible negative responses to the transparency of others.

epsilon negative responses

hubrizo--"...to act spitefully toward someone..." "...treat shamefully...""...injure..." "...abuse..."
"...there was an attempt both on the part of the Gentiles and Jews together with their rulers, to insult and abuse and molest(hubrisai)(Paul and Barnabas) and to stone them,"(Acts 14:5)(Amplified)
"For He will be handed over to the Gentiles, and will be made sport of and scoffed and jeered at and insulted(hubristhesetai) and spit upon;"(Lk. 18:32)(Amplified)
"...the others seized his servants, treated them shamefully(hubrisan) and put them to death."(Mt. 22:6)(Amplified)

hubristes--"...insolent persecutor of others who mistreats them for the pleasure which the affliction of the wrong brings him..."
"(They were)...slanderers, hateful to and hating G0d, full of insolence(hubristas)..."(Ro. 1:29-30)(Amplified)
"Though I formerly blasphemed and persecuted and was shamefully and outrageously and aggresively insulting(hubristen)(to Him), nevertheless I obtained mercy because I had acted out of ignorance and unbelief."(I Tim. 1:13)(Amplified)
"...Christ Jesus, the Messiah, came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am foremost."(I Tim. 1:15)(Amplified)

hupoballo--"...to introduce underhandedly..." "...to make a secret agreement..."
"So they(secretly) instigated(hupebalon)) and instructed men..."(Acts 6:11)(Amplified)

hupselophroneo--"...arrogant..." "...highminded..." "...proud..."
"Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty(snobbish, highminded,(hupsela phronountes) exclusive),..."(Ro. 12:16)(Amplified)
"As for the rich in this world, charge them not to be proud and arrogant and contemptuous of others..."(hupselophronouein)(I Tim. 6:17)(Amplified)
"...do not become proud and conceited(hupselaphronei) but rather stand in awe and be reverently afraid."(Ro. 11:20)(Amplified)

TRANSPARENCY #15

2009-08-25T09:29:00.000-07:00

One of the sweetest confessions from a sinful man is in Luke 18. The publican stood afar off and said, "...God, have mercy on me, a sinner."(Lk. 18:13)(N.I.V.) What a transparent person he was! It is almost a given that the proud man in the parable Jesus told, a Pharisee, was not impressed with the publican's openness and frankness about his sinfulness. For the Pharisee, you see, was too enamored with his own personal perfection to give this publican the time of day. He told God simply that he was thankful he was not like this publican.(Lk. 18:11) Notable that Jesus said that the transparent man was the one who "...went home justified before God..."(Lk. 18:14)(N.I.V.) And Jesus further said the Pharisee would eventually be humbled for his exalted idea of himself.(Lk. 18:14)
There are two words in the early Greek language, exomologeo and homologeo, which mean, according to Zodhiates, "...confess..." "...assent..." "...concede..." "...admit..." These words speak directly to and volumes about the openness and transparency of men.
Initially all men being saved confess Jesus as Lord and confess their sins. "...they were baptized in the Jordan by him, confessing(exomologoumenoi) their sins."(Mt. 3:6)(Amplified) "...if you confess(homologeses) with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." "For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth you confess(homologeitai) and are saved."(Ro. 10:9-10)(N.I.V.) "If anyone acknowledges(homologese) that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God."(I Jn. 4:15)(N.I.V.)
Yet we are not perfect, so those who live within the realm of reality and outside the Pharisaic self-righteous state, become transparent, confess their sins and allow others the equal right to look to the throne of God and go to the altar of forgiveness.
God expects confession, not only initially at conversion, but subsequent to conversion. And He honors the confession of His Son's name initially and the confession of sins thereafter by His children. And confession is necessary for obvious reasons. "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us."(I Jn. 1:8)(N.I.V.) "If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar,...'(I Jn. 1:10)(N.I.V.) Yet He says: "If we confess(homologomen) our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."(I Jn. 1:9)(N.I.V.)
We are even encouraged to be expectantly transparent with one another. "Confess(exomologeisthe) to one another therefore your faults--your slips, your false steps, your offenses, your sins; and pray(also) for one another, that you may be healed and restored--to a spiritual tone of mind and heart..."(Ja. 5:16)(Amplified)
Jesus taught us that our transparency will not go unnoticed. "Whoever then will acknowledge(homologesai) me before men, I will acknowledge(homologeso) him before My Father in heaven;..."(Mt. 10:32)(N.E.B.) "...he who conquers(is victorious) be clad in white garments, and I will not erase or blot out his name from the Book of life; I will acknowledge him (as Mine), and confess(homologeso) his name openly before My Father and before His angels."(Rev. 3:5)(Amplified)
Ultimately the Bible teaches us that confessional transparency will occur even among the Pharisees of this world and those who self-righteously cast a disgusting glance at others' sincere transparency. "For it is written, As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess(exomologesetai) to God--that is, acknowledge Him to His honor and to His praise."(Ro. 14:11)(Amplified)
It would be far better to place our hope in Him now through confession. We all have that right. "So let us seize and hold fast and retain without wavering the hope we cherish and confess, and our acknowledgement(homologian) of it, for He who promised is reliable(sure) and faithful to His word."(Heb. 10:23)(Amplified)
That is about all I know the N.T. says about confession. Wouldn't it be wonderful if men were as reliable as God in honoring the transparency of the lost, the broken, the hopeless?
The Holy Spirit knew men would be negative about their brothers' transparency. So He gave us a long list of possible negative responses toward others' transparency.

sigma negative responses
skolios--"...bent..." "...warped..." "...unjust in contrast to gentle, tolerant..."
"...masters..." "...who are harsh..."(skoliois)(I Pet. 2:18)(N.I.V.)
"...masters..." "...who are surly-overbearing, unjust, and crooked."(Amplified)

stenazo--"grumble from impatience..." "...ill humor..."
"Don't grumble(stenazete) against each other, brothers,..."(Ja. 5:9)(N.I.V)

sukophanteo--"...to inform against..." "...accuse falsely..." "...to extort by false accusation..." "...calumniate..."
"Receive thy servant for good: let not the proud accuse me falsely."(sukophantesatosan)(Ps. 119:122)(Septuagint)
"He that oppresses(sukophantou) the poor, increases his own substance..."(Prov. 22:16)(Septuagint) (...will only come to poverty..."(Prov. 22:16)(N.A.S.B.)

sumbouleuo--"...to plot..."
"...they plotted together(sunebouleusanto) to seize Jesus by stealth and kill Him."(Mt. 26:4)(N.A.S.B.)
"...from that day on they planned together(ebouleusanto) to kill Him."(Jn. 11:53)(N.A.S.B.)

sunomosia--"...to swear together..." "...conspiracy..."
"...the Jews banded together and took an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul. There were more than forty in this conspiracy..."(sunomosian)(Acts 23:13-14)(N.E.B.)

tau negative reponses
tameion--"...any place of privacy, a room, closet..." "...where one cannot be easily seen..."
"Whatever you have spoken in darkness shall be heard and listened to in the light, and what you have whispered in (people's) ears and behind closed doors,(tameiois) will be proclaimed upon the housetops."(Lk. 12:3)(Amplified)

TRANSPARENCY #14

2009-08-20T07:36:00.000-07:00

My childhood and life have been spent hearing messages to support truth with truth. How many times have we heard scripture quoted to this effect:
"Study to show thyself approved..."(II Tim. 2:15)(K.J.V.) "...all scripture is given by the inspiration of God...that the man of God may be perfect..."(II Tim. 3:16-17)(K.J.V.) "His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness..."(II Pet. 1:3)(K.J.V.) Sermon after sermon were intricately pieced together by masters of the language, the method and the Book. No fact was left uncovered. The Great Bible Doctrines were skillfully attested to by great Bible scholars, rich and deep in Scriptural concepts, men of depth and immense knowledge. Thank God for men like that who were loving and caring.
But is it possible to be so filled with such acumen with respect to facts of the letter of the law and miss the Spirit of it? Jesus addressed the scholars of His day and chastised them for just that attitude. For He said they had forgotten the "...weightier matters..." such as equity, compassion, sincerity.(Mt. 23:23) So it has therefore been my experience that some of the most intelligent and well read have been the meanest people I have ever known. And they come straight out of the ranks of Biblical scholarship.
At the hands of such teachers broken folk are made to feel so unworthy, so lost, so sinful, so fallen, so guilty, so inadequate, so useless, so hopeless. Sad that in such circles "When I am broken..." "He lives to take away my sins..." "...runs to the weary, the worn, the weak..." "I know My Redeemer lives..."are impossible phrases and hidden from men by such harsh judgmentalism.
I have often wondered how a Bible genius can be so negative. How can one so intricately understand the plan without truly understanding the Man. How can a perfect church be preached while refusing the broken the right to be "called out" of brokenness? How can such great lessons be preached on forgiveness and the proclaimers be so unforgiving? How can confessional transparency hit them right between the eyes and they smugly turn away?
The Holy Spirit knew that spirit would exist among men. So He gave us an extensive list of behaviors such attitudes generate.

pi negative respones

panourgia--"...shrewdness..." "...cunning..." "...the employment of any means necessary to realize an end..."
"...the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness."(panourgia)(I Cor. 3:19)(K.J.V.)
"We have renounced disgraceful ways--secret thoughts, desires and underhandedness, methods and arts that men hide through shame; we refuse to deal craftily(to practice trickery and cunning)(panourgia) or to adulterate or handle dishonestly the Word of God; but we state the truth openly-clearly and candidly..."(I Cor. 4:2)(Amplified)

periergazomai--"...bustle about..." "...be a busybody..."
...we hear that some of your number are idling their time away, minding everybody's business but their own..."(periergazomenous))II Thess. 3:11)(N.E.B.)

periergos--"...people who scurry about..." "...meddling..." "...in other peoples' affairs..." ...overwrought with unnecessary care..." "...also a standard term for black arts or magic..."
"...they learn to be idle going around to the houses, not only and idle but also gossips and busybodies,(periergoi) speaking the things they ought not."(I Tim. 5:13)(Interlinear)
"A number who had practiced sorcery(perierga) brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly..."(Acts 19:19)(N.I.V.)

pleonektes--"...defrauder for gain..."
"...you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is...greedy..."(pleonektes)(I Cor. 5:11)(N.I.V.)
"...nor greedy ones(pleonektai)...the kingdom of God will inherit."(ICor.6:10)(Interlinear)
"...no...greedy person...(pleonektes) has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God."(Eph. 5:5)(N.I.V.)

pleonekteo--"...take advantage of someone..." "...defraud..."
"...we have exploited(epleonektesamen) no one."(II Cor. 7:2)(N.I.V.)
"For this is the will of God, that you should be consecrated..." "That no man transgress, and overreach his brother and defraud(pleonektein) him in this matter or defraud his brother in business..."(I Thess. 4:3,6)(Amplified)

propetes--"...rash..." "...careless...""...headlong or out of control..."
"...in the last days..." "...people will be..." "...treacherous(betrayers), rash(propeteis) inflated with self-conceit..."(II Tim. 3:1,2,4)(Amplified)

prophasis--"...pretense..." "...outward show..." "...pretext put forth to cover one's real intent..."
"...we never resorted either to words of flattery or to any cloak to conceal greedy motives or pretexts(prophasei) for gain..."(I Thess. 2:5)(Amplified)

TRANSPARENCY #13

2009-08-18T09:00:00.000-07:00

For every negative there is a positive and visa-versa. In language we call these negatives of positives and positives of negatives antonyms. Perhaps the antonyms of the negative ways we treat the transparency of our neighbors would be a rewarding study sometime. For every negative way we view one another there is a positive way we should view one another. And the Holy Spirit is just as thorough from the positive viewpoint as He is from the negative as he describes through inspiration the ways we should or should not treat one another.
lamda negative responses

lestes--"...one depriving another of his property openly..."
"And he, determined to acquit himself of reproach, said to Jesus, And who is my neighbor?" "Jesus taking him up replied, A certain man was going from Jerusalem down to Jericho and fell among robbers,(lestais) who stripped him of his clothes and belongings, and beat him, and went their way(unconcernedly)..."(Lk. 10:29-30)(Amplified)
"..."My house shall be called a house of prayer"; but you are making it a robbers'(leston) cave."(Mt. 21:13)(N.E.B.)
Zodhiates makes a sobering point on this word in his Word Study. There are two words for thieves or robbers in the early Greek, lestai and kleptai as seen in John 10:8. Zodhiates says that a kleptes is one who "...does his work in a secret manner so that he may not be discovered..." and lestes has as its characteristic violence. His very interesting comment about the penitent thief on the cross is that he "...may have been a person who turned insurgent for some presumed righteous cause, thus seeking by the wrath of man to work out what he presumes to be God's righteousness." What a blow to human relations that rationale would be!

loidoria--"...reproach..."
"...give the enemy no opportunity for slander."(loidorias)(I Tim. 5:14)(N.I.V.)
"Not rendering...abuse(loidorian) for abuse(loidorias)..."(I Pet. 3:9)(Interlinear)

me negative reponses

mache--"...fighting..." "..legal battles..."
"...avoid stupid and foolish controversies and genealogies and dissensions and wrangling..."(machas)(Titus 3:9)(Amplified)

miseo--"...to hate..." "...implying active ill will in words and conduct, a persecuting spirit..." "...equivalent to not loving..." "...to slight..."
"The one claiming in the light to be and the brother of him hating(mison) in the darkness is until now."(I Jn. 2:9)(Interlinear)
"But he who hates(detests, despises)(mison) his brother(in Christ) is in darkness and walking(living) in the dark; he is straying and does not perceive or know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes."(I Jn. 2:11)(Amplified)
"Whosoever hateth(mison) his brother is a murderer:.."(I Jn. 3:15)(K.J.V.)
"If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates(mise) his brother, he is a liar."(I Jn. 4:20)(N.I.V.)

omicron negative responses

orge--"...wrath as the outburst of a vengeful mind..."
"I desire therefore that in every place men should pray, without anger(orges) or quarreling or resentment or doubt(in their minds), lifting up holy hands."(I Thess. 2:8)(Amplified)

orgizo--"to...become...provoked..."
"...anyone who is angry(orgizomenos) with his brother will be subject to judgment..."(Mt. 5:22)(N.I.V.)

orgilos--"...prone to anger..."
"Do not associate with a man given to anger, or go with a hot-tempered(orgilo) man,..."(Prov. 22:24)(N.A.S.B.)

TRANSPARENCY #12

2009-08-14T07:08:00.000-07:00

I have often wondered what would occur if we held ourselves to the same expectations the we do others. Do we ever cut ourselves any slack in our evaluations of ourselves? Do we give ourselves leeway for mistaken behavior and weaknesses? Do we excuse ourselves at times? Do we say of ourselves: "...everybody makes mistakes..." "...nobody is perfect..." "...all men have shortcomings..." and then view others in quite a different light.
If we viewed others like we view ourselves, then perhaps our negativism toward others would simply "...go away..."(Jn. 8:9) Perhaps we would be more willing to be more lenient of our transparent or maybe not so transparent brothers.
What would happen to us if God treated us as we treat our brothers? What if he withdrew His love, His care, His concern, His grace, His forgiveness everytime we made a mistake and did not meet His expectations?
Do I hear someone in the self-righteous corner shouting that there are scriptural standards to live by. If so, you need to know that they apply to you too. And you don't meet them perfectly.(Ro. 3:23)(I Jn. 1:8-10)
The Holy Spirit knew that there would be captious, carping, unforgiving and negative people in our lives. So He in His wisdom just gave us a whole list of the negative ways we could and would treat one another.
Among some of them are:

kappa negatives
kathairesis--"...demolition..." "...destruction..."
"...I boast rather freely about our power and authority, which the Lord gave for your upbuilding and not for demolishing you,..."(kathairesin)(II Cor. 10:8)(Amplified)

kakia--"...malice..."
"...away with all malice(kakian) and deceit, away with all pretence and jealousy and recrimination of every kind!..."(I Pet. 2:1)(N.E.B.)

kakos--"...evil done to anyone..." "...injury..." "...harm..."
"Never return evil(kakon) for evil(kakou) or insult for insult-scolding, tongue-lashing, berating; but on the contrary blessing-praying for their welfare, happiness and protection, and truly pitying and loving them. For know that to this you have been called, that you may yourselves inherit a blessing (from God)-obtain a blessing as heirs, bringing welfare and happiness and protection."(I Pet. 3:9)(Amplified)

katadikazo--"...condemn..." "...give judgment against..."
"Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not(katadikazete) and ye shall not be condemned:(katadikasthete) forgive and ye shall be forgiven:"(Lk. 6:37)(K.J.V.)

katadunasteuo--"...to tyrannize..." "...oppress harshly..."
"...you have insulted the poor man. Moreover, are not the rich your oppressors?(katadunasteuousin) Is it not they who drag you into court and pour contempt on the honoured name by which God has claimed you?"(Ja. 2:6)(N.E.B.)

katakrino--"...condemn...""...pronounce sentence against..." "...adjudge guilty..."
"You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning(katakrineis) yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things."(Ro. 2:1)(N.I.V.)
"...It is God who justifies..." "Who is he who condemns?"(katakrinon)(Ro. 8:33-34)(N.I.V.)

katalaleo--"...to speak evil of..."
"Do not speak evil(katalaleite) against one another, brethren. He that speaks evil(katalalon) against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil(katalalei) against the law and judges the law..."(Ja. 4:11)(R.S.V.)

katalalia--"...slander..."
"...I fear lest perhaps having come not such as I wish I may find you and I may be found by you such as you do not wish; lest perhaps(there be) strife, jealousy, anger, factions, slander,(katalaliai) gossip, conceit, commotion;"(II Cor. 12:20)(Interlinear)

katalalos--"...to speak against..."
"Gave over them God to a disapproved mind to do the things not being proper..." "...backbiters..."(katalalous)(Ro. 1:28,30)(Interlinear)

kataraomai--"...wish anyone evil or ruin..."
"With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse(katarometha) men who were made in God's likeness!"(Ja. 3:9)(Amplified)

krima--"...to go to law..." "...lawsuit..."
"...there is utterly a fault among you, because you go to law(krimata) one with another..."(I Cor. 6:7)(K.J.V.)

krino--"...to judge...""...express an opinion as to any person..."
"...you, sir, why do you pass judgement(krineis) on your brother? And you, sir, why do you hold your brother in contempt?..."(Ro. 14:10)"(N.E.B.)

kubeia--"...trickery..." "...fraud..."
"...(the prey of) the cunning(kubeia) and cleverness of unscrupulous men, (gamblers engaged) in every shifting form of trickery..."(Eph. 4:14)(Amplified)

koluo--"...cut off..." "...hinder..." "...prevent..." "...restrain..."
"So if I come, I will call attention to what he is doing, gossiping maliciously about us. Not satisfied with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers. He also stops(koluei) those who want to do so and puts them out of the church."(III Jn. 10)(N.I.V.)

TRANSPARENCY #11

2009-08-10T10:43:00.001-07:00

It has been said that those who live in glass houses should not throw stones. Yet there are glasshouse churches and glasshouse people who do throw stones.
Paul would say to such folks "...in posing as judge and passing sentence on another you condemn yourself, because you who judge are habitually practicing the very same things(that you censure and denounce)."(Ro. 2:1)(Amplified)
Jesus said to a bunch of glasshouse folks one time: "...Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone..."(Jn. 8:7)(Amplified)
Thank God that there are some churches and people who are loving, forgiving, accepting and demonstrative of a merciful Savior and Lord.
The Holy Spirit describes for us in detail the glasshouse folks.

Zeta negatives
zelos--"...envy..." "...jealousy..." "...anger..."
"Let us live and conduct ourselves honorably and becomingly as in the (open light of) day;..." "...not in...quarreling and jealousy."(zelo)(Ro. 13:13)(Amplified)
"...ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying(zelos), and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?"(I Cor. 3:3)(K.J.V.)

zetesis--"...an exchange of words rather than a true search..."
"...if any one...does not assent to the sound and wholesome messages of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Messiah, and the teaching which is in agreement with godliness--piety toward God--" "He is puffed up with pride and stupefied with conceit,(although he is) woefully ignorant. He has a morbid fondness for controversy(zeteseis) and disputes and strife about words, which result in (producing) envy and jealousy, quarrels and dissension, abuse and insults and slander, and base suspicions."(I Tim. 6:3-4)(Amplified)

theta negatives
thlipsis--"...trouble..." "...affliction..."
"...ye were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions..."(thlipsesin)(Heb. 10:33)(K.J.V.)

theatrizo--"...expose to public scorn..." "...make a public spectacle..."
"...a great struggle of suffering you endured, sometimes both to insults and to persecutions being made a public spectacle,..."(theatrizomenoi)(Heb. 10:32-33)(Interlinear)

thlibo--"...afflict..." "...compress..."
"It is surely just that God should balance the account by sending trouble to those who trouble(thlibousin) you..." "...and relief to you who are troubled..."(thlibomenois)(II Thess. 1:6-7)(N.E.B.)

thumos--"...bursts of anger..."
"...behavior that belongs to the lower nature..." "...fits of rage..."(thumoi)(Gal 5:19-20)(N.E.B.)
"...Get rid of all...anger..."(thumos)(Eph. 4:31)(N.I.V.)

TRANSPARENCY #10

2009-08-06T12:54:00.000-07:00

The question is not have I sinned, but the question is wherein have I sinned. If it were possible that I not sin I would be different from all other men. And if I say I have not and do not sin, John tells me I am a sinner and I have deceived myself and the truth is not in me.(I Jn. 1:8) And if I say I do not sin I call God a liar because He said I do sin. Further I have missed the whole message of the gospel.(I Jn. 1:10)
The person who thinks he has no sin will see no need for transparency.(I Jn. 1:9) And because he majors in his own perfection he will likely belittle the transparency of others and denigrate their spiritual character and disparage their attempts to be open about their shortcomings. And of course that behavior towards others all amounts to sin. And is it at all possible that some folks act in negative ways towards others. The Holy Spirit says it is

Epsilon negatives
ekdikeo--"...avenge..."
"Beloved, never avenge(ekdikountes) yourselves, but leave the way open for (God's) wrath;..."(Ro. 12:19)(Amplified)

exoutheneo--"...despise..." "...treat with scorn..."
"...one man will have faith enough to eat all kinds of food, while a weaker man eats only vegetables." "The man who eats must not hold in contempt(exoutheneito) the man who does not, and he who does not eat must not pass judgement on the man who does; for God has accepted him."(Ro. 14:2-3)(N.E.B.)
"And He spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised(exouthenountas)) others:"(Lk. 18:9)(K.J.V.)

eritheia--"...strife..." "...rivalry..."
"Do nothing out of selfish ambition(eritheian) or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves."(Phil. 2:3)(N.I.V.)
"...if you have bitter jealousy(envy)and contention(rivalry, selfish ambition)(eritheian) in your hearts, do not pride yourselves on it and thus be in defiance of and false to the Truth."(Ja. 3:14)(Amplified)

eris--"...contention..." "...wrangling..." "...love of strife..."
"Some, it is true(actually) preach Christ, the Messiah(for no better reason than) out of envy and rivalry(party spirit);(erin) but others are doing so out of a loyal spirit and goodwill."(Phil. 1:15)(Amplified)
"...God gave them over to a reprobate mind..." "Being filled with unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate(eridos) deceit, malignity; whisperers,"(Ro. 1:28-29)(K.J.V.)

epereazo--"...insult..." "...accuse falsely..." "...misuse..."
"...Keep your conscience clear, so that when you are abused, those who malign(epereazontes) your Christian conduct may be put to shame..."(I Pet. 3:16)(N.E.B.)

echthra--"...hatred..." "...hostility...""...enmity..."
"Now the works of the flesh are manifest..." "...hatred..." (echthrai)(Gal. 5:19-20)(K.J.V.)

ekballo--"...throw out..."
"Blessed--happy (with life-joy and satisfaction in God's favor and salvation, apart from your outward condition) and to be envied-are you when people despise(hate) you, and when they exclude and excommunicate you(as disreputable),(ekbalosin) and revile and denounce you, and defame and cast out and spurn your name as evil(wicked) on account of the Son of Man."(Lk. 6:22)(Amplified)
"All whom My Father has given(entrusted) to Me will come to Me; and him who comes to Me I will most certainly not cast out-I will never, no never reject one of them who comes to Me."(ekbalo)(Jn. 6:37)(Amplified)

eulogia--"...commendation..." "...Rom. 16:18 refers to false teachers who for personal gain flatter people..."
"...such people are servants not of Christ our Lord but of their own appetites, and they seduce the minds of innocent people with smooth and specious words..."(eulogias)(Ro. 16:18)(N.E.B.)

epiorkos--"...perjurer..."
"...liars, perjurers(epiorkois) and whatever else is opposed to wholesome teaching and sound doctrine..."(I Tim. 1:10)(Amplified)

epiorkeo--"...to swear falsely..."
"...You shall not swear falsely..."(epiorkeseis)(Mt. 5:33)(Amplified)

TRANSPARENCY #9

2009-08-05T08:03:00.000-07:00

Near the time of His crucifixion Jesus told His disciples that He would send the "...Counselor, the Holy Spirit..."(Jn. 14:25)(N.I.V.) And He told them of the Holy Spirit: "...He will guide you into all truth..."(Jn. 16:13)(N.I.V.) And He said of Him: "...He will bring glory to Me by taking from what is Mine and making it known to you."(Jn. 16:14)(N.I.V.) After the resurrection of Jesus that happened. Therefore Paul was able to write: "...I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you:..."(I Cor. 11:23)(N.I.V.) During a conversation with Festus Paul was also able to say: "...I..." "...speak forth the words of truth..."(Acts 26:25)(K.J.V.)Because of the Holy Spirit Peter could say to his readers that they should "...be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour:..."(II Pet. 3:2)(K.J.V.)
In our study of the negative ways men treat one another we are reminded that the Holy Spirit is the author of these words. We must remind ourselves too that not all men are negative in the ways the Spirit conveys at all times. But we must also remind ourselves that we are dealing with divine truth and the words should not be ignored. They are real and they convey real meanings, sentiments, actions. And all men should be careful how they treat their fellowman.
Please let me continue to remind you that I am indebted to Spiros Zodhiates for the definitions of the Greek words used by the Holy Spirit.
Delta negatives
dusphemia--"...defame..."
"When we are slandered and defamed,(dusphemoumenoi) we (try to) answer softly and bring comfort. We have been made and are now the rubbish and filth of the world--the offscouring of all things, the scum of the earth."(I Cor. 4:13)(Amplified)

diabolos--"...false accuser..."
"...their wives are to be women worthy of respect, not malicious talkers(diabolous) but temperate and trustworthy in everything."(I Tim. 3:11)(N.I.V.)

dialogismos--"...contention..."
"I desire therefore that in every place men should pray, without anger or quarreling or resentment or doubt (in their minds),(dialogismou) lifting up holy hands."(I Tim. 2:8)(Amplified)

diaseio--"...harass.." "...oppress..." "...extort..."
"...No bullying; no blackmail;..."(diaseisete)(Lk. 3:14)(N.E.B.)

TRANSPARENCY #8

2009-08-04T09:46:00.000-07:00

Eight of the Ten Commandments are negative commands. Five out of those eight have reference to possible negative relationships with one's fellowman. Jesus said that the most excellent positive ,love of God and our fellowman, sums up the Law and the Prophets.(Mt. 22:40) So negatives exist when love is disregarded.
Agape towards our fellowman is an action of the will. Negatives towards our fellowman are also actions of the will. Their existance is no happenstance; they are products of our will.
The Holy Spirit's omniscience about all this is illustrated in the way attention is given by inspiration to the various negative responses one might have to his fellowman. And these various negatives are enumerated and explained in scripture.

Beta negatives:
blasphemos--"...rumor..." "...to be abusive..." "...destroying one's good name..."
"...in the last days..." "...people will be..." "...abusive(blasphemous, scoffers)..."(blasphemoi)(II Tim. 3:1,2)(Amplified)

blasphemia--"...verbal abuse against someone which denotes the very worst type of slander...""...wounding someone's reputation by evil reports..." "...with false witnesses..."
"But what comes out of the mouth has its origins in the heart; and that is what defiles a man. Wicked thoughts, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, perjury, slander--..."(blasphemiai)(Mt. 15:18-19)(N.E.B.)
"Let all bitterness and indignation and wrath(passion, rage, bad temper) and resentment(anger, animosity) and quarreling(brawling, clamor, contention) and slander(evilspeaking, abusive or blasphemous language)(blasphemia) be banished from you, with all malice, (spite, ill will or baseness of any kind)."(Eph. 4:31)(Amplified)
"But now put away and rid yourselves(completely) of all these things: anger, rage, bad feeling toward others, curses and slander and foulmouthed abuse(blasphemian) and shameful utterances from your lips!"(Col. 3:8)(Amplified)

blasphemeo--"...to blaspheme..." "...to hurt the reputation or smite with reports or words..." "...to slander..."
"...speak evil(blasphemein) of no man,...be no brawlers,...gentle...shewing all meekness unto all men."(Titus 3:2)(K.J.V.)

barus--"...burdensome..." "...heavy burdens..." "...burdensome precepts..."
"...they do not practice what they preach..." "They tie up heavy(barea) loads and put them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them."(Mt. 23:3,4)
"...His commands are not burdensome..."(bareiai)(I Jn. 5:3)(N.I.V.)

TRANSPARENCY #7

2009-07-29T14:26:00.000-07:00

On occasion I have heard some doubtful comments about the value of studying specific Koine Greek words. I am baffled and amazed at such thinking. This is especially true, I believe, when one realizes that any reliable translation of scripture is a product of the Koine Greek of the first century. And this language was utilized by the Holy Spirit to teach God's word hopefully to all men.

Studying Greek words gives us insight into the messages that God has sent us. So often we miss the particular messages because of comfort zones that have been developed over time to express some generalized religious philosophy with no distinct or particular direction for relationships among people. The scripture, if studied, will provide those directions...

It is God's will that agape be a characteristic of His people. And if one views Paul's description of agape in I Cor. 13, one must conclude that there are positives that accompany agape. And if there are positives produced by agape then there can be negatives produced by other principles in our lives. There is no doubt in my mind that the Holy Spirit identified those negatives by inspiring men to write them down in understood language.

It is truly my desire that this study of the possible negative ways I can treat others will help me to eliminate those things from my life. And it is my hope that it will help others to do the same.

I would like to remind you again that I am using Spiros Zodhiates' Greek word study for the definition of these words.

Alpha Words Continued:

aischros--"refers to inappropriate conduct of the elder of the local church that he be not given to improper gain for selfish purposes..." "...such leaders can so easily take advantage of people..."

"...the bishop as an overseer...must not be grasping and greedy(aischrokerde) for filthy lucre(financial gain);"(Titus 1:7)(Amplified)

authades--"...one who is pleased with himself and despises others..." "...a person who obstinately maintains his own opinion or asserts his own rights but is reckless of the rights, feelings, and interests of others. He regulates his life with no respect for others.."

"...it is necessary (for) the overseer to be...not arrogant..."(authade)(Titus 1:7)(Interlinear) "...(They are) daring, self-willed,(authadeis), glorious beings they do not tremble (at),..."(II Pet. 2:10)(Interlinear)

aspondos--"...the absolutely irreconcilable person who, being at war, refuses to lay aside his enmity or to listen to terms of reconciliation" "implacable"

"...in the last days..." "People will be..." "without love, unforgiving,(aspondoi) slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of good,..."(II Tim. 3:1,2,3)(NIV)

adikeo--"...to act unjustly..." "...to hurt..." "...damage..." "...harm..."

"But you do wrong(adikeite) and cheat, and this to your brothers."(I Cor. 6:8)(Interlinear) "But (instead it is you) yourselves who wrong and defraud, and that even your own brethren(by so treating them)!"(Amplified)

aischrokerdes--"...a person who is eager to gain even if such gain degrades his moral character..."

"Deacons...(must be)...not fond of dishonest gain,..."(aischrokerdeis)(I Tim. 3:8)(Interlinear) "It is necessary (for) the overseer...to be...not fond of dishonest gain,"(aischrokerde)(Titus 1:7)(Interlinear)

adikos--"...fraudulent..." "...false..." "...deceitful..."

"The judges shall investigate thoroughly and if the witness is a false(adikos) witness and he has accused his brother falsely," "then you shall do to him just as he had intended to do to his brother..."(Deut. 19:18-19)(NASB)

aneleemon--"...unmerciful..." "...not compassionate..."

"...to do the things not being proper..." "...senseless, faithless, unaffectionate, merciless,"(aneleemonas)(Rom. 1:28,31)(Interlinear)

adikia--"...injustice..." "..what is wrong with man's relationship to man is also wrong in man's relationship to God." "God cannot treat anyone unjustly."
"Neither present the members of you(as) tools to unrighteousness..."(adikias)(Ro. 6:13)(Interlinear) "Now hear this...heads of the house of Jacob ....rulers of the house of Israel...who abhor justice...who twist everything that is straight...who build Zion with bloodshed and Jerusalem with violent injustice."(adikiais)(Micah 3:9,10)(NASB)
"In I Cor 13:6(adikia) could be taken as those material things that could be acquired through the employment of falsehood in defrauding others instead of telling the truth."(Zodhiates)
"Love..." "...does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness(adikia) but rejoices when right and truth prevail."(I Cor. 13:4,6)(Amplified)

Transparency #6

2009-07-27T15:38:00.000-07:00

Before I started writing about I Cor. 13 in February of this year, I was attempting to write some things on the subject of transparency. My interest on the subject had been aroused by some recent statements such as "Let's be transparent..." or "We want to be transparent..." I had earlier actually heard some church leaders make some of the same suggestions.

As far as God is concerned all things are transparent. The writer of Hebrews told us "There is nothing in creation that can hide from Him; everything lies naked and exposed to the eyes of the One with whom we have to reckon."(Heb. 4:13)(NEB) Even so, it is obvious that God wants His people to be transparent with Him. So He said through John "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."(I Jn. 1:9)(NIV) True transparency before God begins on our knees, and maybe even our faces, as we acknowledge our sinfulness and plead for His forgiveness. He is true to His word. He forgives.

There is another way of transparency taught us in scripture that is not so often readily accepted so graciously. James tells Christians "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another..."(Ja. 5:16)(KJV) So often when this is done some kind of spiritual Hammer is brought heavily down on the transparent and Mt. 18:15-19; I Cor. 13; Mt. 7; Mt. 5:7; etc.,etc.,etc...go unheeded. "Love your neighbor as yourself..."(Mt. 22:39)(NIV) and "In everything do to others what you would have them do to you..."(Mt. 7:12)(NIV) to some, by the way they treat others, might as well be Aesop's Fables. Therefore the transparent often becomes victim to all sorts of negative behaviors and attitudes.

The wisdom of the Holy Spirit is seen in the way He elucidates("throws light on") the various possibilities of such negative approaches to others.

In preparation for this study I have attempted to get just as close to the writing of the early inspired disciples as I could. I used Spiros Zodhiates' Greek word study for the selection of the words which have some negative connotations and express negativity toward others in some degree or another. I went from alpha to omega in an attempt to select these words. And with each word I have attached Zodhiates definition and a passage that exemplifies its usage. Some of the words express attitudes that lead to negative behavior. Others are specifically a negative behavior that affects others.

If my brother comes to me with a problem, a sin, a confession , will I treat him in some of the negative ways described by the Holy Spirit or will I treat him with love and forgiveness?

ALPHA...

alazon--"a boaster"

"...people will be lovers of self and (utterly) self-centered, lovers of money and aroused by an inordinate(greedy) desire for wealth, proud and arrogant and contemptuous boasters..."(alazones)(II Tim. 3:2)(Amplified)

analisko--"to take away" "destroy" "consume"

"But if you bite and devour one another(in partisan strife), be careful that you (and your whole fellowship) are not consumed(analothete) by one another."(Gal. 5:15)(Amplified)

anathematizo--"to curse"

"...more than forty of them are waiting in ambush for him. They have taken an oath(anethematisan) not to eat or drink until they have killed him..."(Acts 23:21)(NIV)

ara--"wish evil against a person"

"...their mouth is full of bitter curses."(aras)(Ro. 3:14)(NEB)

apatao--"being deceived by the vain empty, idle words of others"

"Let no one deceive(apatato) you with empty words..."(Eph. 5:6)(NIV)

apostereo--"to deprive" "wrong" "defraud one another of what belongs to him"

"...do not defraud..."(apostereses)(Mk. 10:19)(Amplified)

"Do not refuse and deprive and defraud(apostereite) each other (of your due marital rights)..."(I Cor. 7:5)(Amplified)

atopos--"hurtful" "evil"

"...pray that we may be delivered from wicked(atopon) and evil men, for not everyone has faith."(II Thess. 3:2)(NIV)

allotrioepiskopos--"one who busies himself with what does not concern him"

"...let none of you suffer as a murderer, or a thief, or any sort of criminal; or as a mischief maker(a meddler)(allotriepiskopos) in the affairs of others--infringing on their rights."(I Pet. 4:15)(Amplified)

alazoneia--"an ostentacious quack" "showing off to fellow mortals" "vainglorious pursuit of honors"

"But as it is, you boast(falsely) in your presumption and your self-conceit.(alazoneiais) All such boasting is wrong."(Ja. 4:16)(Amplified)

aphilagathos--"a person who may have pity but does not necessarily do anything to relieve the suffering of another through self-denial"

"...without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good,..."(aphilagathoi)(II Tim. 3:3)(NIV)

atimazo--"to dishonor" "treat with indignity"

"...you(in contrast) have insulted-humiliated, dishonored and shown contempt for(etimasate)-the poor. Is it not the rich who domineer over you? Is it not they who drag you into the law courts?"(Ja. 2:6)(Amplified)

anupokritos--"to pretend"

"Let love be unhypocritical(anupokritos) abhorring the evil, clinging to the good."(Ro. 12:9)(Interlinear)

harpax--"given to rapacity or extortion"

"...I wrote to you not to mix with if any brother he is being called a fornicator or a greedy man or an idolater or a reviler or a drunkard or a swindler(harpax) with such a man not to eat."(I Cor. 5:11)(Interlinear)

anemeros--"ungentle" "fierce"

"...unloving, irreconcilable, slanderous, without self-control, savage(anemeroi), not lovers of good."(II Tim. 3:3)(Interlinear)

aischrokerdos--"eager of sordid gain" "dishonorable gain" "gaining popularity...showing special favors" "to the influential in order to gain personal advantage and profit"

"I warn and counsel the elders among you--the pastors and spiritual guides of the church--as a fellow elder and as an eyewitness(called to testify) of the sufferings of Christ..." "Tend the flock...not dishonorably motivated(aischrokerdos) by the advantages and profts(belonging to the office) but eagerly and cheerfully."(I Pet. 5:1-2)(Amplified)

THE MOST EXCELLENT WAY #19

2009-07-22T09:04:00.000-07:00

"Love never fails..."(I Cor. 13:8)(NIV) This is an inspired fact. It is incontrovertible. "Love never fails..."
Humans relations will not falter under its influence. Church unity will not be disrupted under its influence. Dastardly deeds will disappear and cruel and judgmental actions will vanish. People will be more important than things. It "...never fails."
Its influence will be characterized by all that Paul said about it. It indeed is "...patient..." "...kind..." "...does not envy..." "...does not boast..." "...is not proud..." "...is not rude..." "...is not self-seeking..." "...is not easily angered..." "...keeps no records of wrongs..." "...does not delight in evil..." "...rejoices in the truth..." "...always protects..." "...always trusts..." "...always hopes..." "...always perseveres..."(NIV) When and if any of these principles are violated or ignored that is not love's fault for it "...never fails..."
Adam Clarke wrote of love: "...it is the means of preserving all other graces..." "...indeed, properly speaking it includes them all..." "...and all receive their perfection from it..." "Without it there never was true religion..." "...nor ever can be..."
So I end this study about agape as given to us by the Apostle Paul. I did not feel worthy to do it in the beginning and feel the same today. However, I will miss the study. It is almost as if I am saying good-bye to a true friend. But of course, I can't, for ultimately it will be the only thing remaining for us all. For "...the greatest of these is love..."(I Cor. 13:13)
To my friend who prompted this study I say, thanks Brother. I love you and I wish you the best in your service for the Master...

The Most Excellent Way #18

2009-07-22T08:05:00.000-07:00

"Carrying His own cross, He went to The Place of the Skull..."

John 19:17

"...Love..." "...always perseveres..."(I Cor. 13:4,7)(NIV) "...all things endures..."(Interlinear) "...it endures everything (without weakening)."(Amplified) "...endureth all things..."(KJV) "...there is no limit to its...endurance..."(N.E.B.)

In Paul's descriptions of love in I Cor. 13 he records two words that can be translated endure. In verse four he uses the word makrothumei. This word refers to patience or endurance with respect to other people. The word he uses in verse 7 is hupomonei. It is a word, according to Zodhiates, that refers to various things, not people. Therefore sufferings and hardships, due to things will not quell love. Nothing can do that for agape, according to Paul, in "...all things endures..."(Interlinear) This word is used by John in Jesus' statement to the church at Ephesus in Rev. 2:3: "You have persevered and have endured(hupomonen) hardships for my name, and have not grown weary."(NIV)(Interlinear)

Matthew Henry described this attribute of love when he wrote: "...holds firm, though it may be shocked, or borne hard upon; sustains all manner of injury and ill usage, and bears up under it, such as curses, contumacies, slander, prison, exile, bonds, torments, and death itself for the sake of the injurious, and of others; and perseveres in this firmness." Adam Clarke said it "Bears up under all persecutions and maltreatment..."

Isaiah prophesied of Jesus that He would be "...oppressed..." "...afflicted..." "...led to slaughter..." "...cut off out of the land of the living..." "...despised..." "...forsaken..." "A man of sorrows..." "...acquainted with grief..." "...pierced through for our transgressions..." Isaiah added of Him: "...by His scourging we are healed..." "...the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him..."(Isa. 53:3-9)(NASB)

Scripture says of Him: "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the Pioneer and Perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured(hupemeinen) the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."(Heb. 12:2)(NIV)(Interlinear)

And since we are no greater than the Master it says to us: "...let us strip off and throw aside every encumbrance-unnecessary weight-and that sin which so readily(deftly and cleverly) clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance(hupomones) and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us,"(Heb. 12:1)(Amplified)(Interlinear)

After all the things Jesus endured on that lonely hill, He simply looked at them and said "Father forgive them..."(Lk. 23:34)(KJV) How can love best be described? And He tells us "...Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another."(Jn. 13:34)(NIV) No wonder that His apostle would exhort the Corinthians: "...Love..."(I Cor. 13:4) is that which in "...all things endures..."(I Cor. 13:7)(Interlinear)

THE MOST EXCELLENT WAY #17

2009-07-17T08:03:00.000-07:00

Temple Grounds

"...let him begin stoning her."

John 8:7

"...Love..." "...always hopes..."(I Cor. 13:6-7)(NIV) "...all things hopes..."(Interlinear)

Matthew Henry says of this description of love: "It will not presently conclude a case desperate, but wishes the amendment of the worst of men, and is very apt to hope for what it wishes."

So sad that some exclusive fellowships do not completely apply this principle of truth to its fellows. For that reason unity is not possible in some "bodies of Christ." For hope is not held out for all the saints of God.

Admittedly, there are some "mature" folk in the church who by reason of age and some spiritual attainments have perhaps reached higher levels of growth. If so though where is the hope held out for others described by Paul. Some of the more "complete" have somehow failed to even conceive of the purpose of their own conversion. Peter describes it in I Pet. 1:22..."Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, with all your hearts."(NIV)

And have such ones of high degree forgotten the mistakes they made through out their development into "exemplary" Christians. And is it even possible that they continue to make a few?(Ro. 3:23)(I Jn. 1:8-9)

Jesus scolded such folks during His ministry. What of a church that stands around the fallen with rocks or computers or telephones or stationary? The teaching of Jesus is still as applicable today as it was 2000 years ago to the upper crust of faith. And it goes something like this: If any of you is without sin then let him begin stoning, text messaging, e-mailing and writing about her.

How much more noble it would have been if those "...teachers..." and "...Pharisees..."(Jn. 8) had brought her to the "...Teacher..." and asked if there was still hope for her. Is there any way we can help her? And why they did not do that is so revealing of them.

The hope of agape love does not act like those elite of Jesus day. Certainly Jesus views the hearts of the penitent. His viewpoint of such folks is not so hopeless and calloused. The story of those who will not hold out the hope of love to their fellows is capsulized in Mt. 7:1-2.

Adam Clarke expressed it this way: "When there is no place left for believing good of a person, then love comes with its hope when it could not work by its faith, and begins immediately to make allowances and excuses, as far as a good conscience can permit; and further, anticipates the repentance of the transgressor, and his restoration to the good opinion of society and his place in the Church of God, from which he had fallen."

The problem with some fellowships is that their consciences are uneducated about The Most Excellent Way. For that Way would not make it more difficult for a "fallen" brother to find his way back to the church than it was when he was "...called a Christian first..."(Acts 11:26) What rejoicing occurred then. But now that he has fallen where is the love that "...always hopes..."? Sad note that when the repentance of a sinful brother has occurred great hesitancy occurs when the scripture says simply "...reaffirm your love for him..."(II Cor. 2:8)

The definition of hope is "desire plus expectation." Do we desire and expect the best for our brothers? If so love exists. If not love is absent.

THE MOST EXCELLENT WAY #16

2009-07-14T07:27:00.000-07:00

"Everything is possible for him who believes."

Mark 9:23

I Cor. 13:7 tells us that love "...always trusts..."(NIV) "...believeth all things..."(KJV). Matthew Henry says of this characteristic of love given by Paul that "...it is apt to believe well of all..." "...to believe well when there may be some dark appearances..." "...it will...believe well...as far as it can with any reason..." "...it...will stretch its faith beyond appearances for the support of a kind opinion...".

It is obvious that love is not blind to evil and there are those who are blatantly uncaring and practice evil continually and persistently. But there are wrongs which are repented of daily and care and concern about them is continual.

If I Cor. 13 is taken in context I believe this is what Paul was speaking of. Paul was speaking to the church of Christ at Corinth and he was saying that brothers should love one another enough to believe well of one another despite their obvious faults. Unity can thrive in such an atmosphere. When the various parts of the church body look upon one another that way then there will be peace and real fellowship. A church where faults are emphasized and the worst is thought of others will not have unity and further will not thrive and will be nothing more than a mere social club and not the true body of Christ.

The Greek word for believe here is pisteuei. Antonyms mean "to doubt" "disbelieve".(Zodhiates) Diakrinomai is listed as an antonym of pisteuei. It means: "to make a distinction," "doubt." James, the brother of Christ, uses this word in James 2 in the context of showing favoritism. He shamed his readers, telling them: "...have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts..."(Ja. 2:4)(NIV) So often, in some circles, the latter part of James 2 is quoted. James 2:26 says "...faith without works is dead."(NIV) Sadly it is so true that there are those who never conceive of the fact that being free from discrimanation, favoritism, partiality, judging, blaspheming might possibly be a Christian work of love or a "...labor prompted by love..."(I Thess. 1:3)(NIV)

The church was begun out of a heart of love for all men.(Jn. 3:16) It is distinguished by its love.(Col. 1:4,5) The concept of brotherhood cannot be possible without love.(I Jn. 4:14-16)(I Jn. 4:7-8)(I Jn. 4:20)(I Jn. 4:21)(I Jn. 4:11-12)

Paul informs us that the church of God treats brethren with great respect by believing good about them.

How then do I treat my brethren. More importantly to me should be how does Christ treat them and me. When there just seems nothing more about my brother to believe in; when he has just about done it all; when his life seems to be an utter failure, when he is spiritually broken; when he has violated me and others so hastily, so uncaringly, so obviously selfishly how will I treat him. When it seems that there is nothing he can "do" to gain my favor what will I think of him? Will he have any worth, any value? When he is in the miry clay, the valley of the shadow what will I believe about him? Love teaches me a lovely lesson about a broken man. It "...believeth all things..."

Thank you Lord for not giving up on me. Thank you Lord for your grace, your mercy, your love. When I was unlovable you loved me. You gave me a second chance. Indeed you are a God of second chances. How wonderful you are and worthy to be praised. You had the right to destroy me. You didn't. You came down to me. You cared about me. You somehow saw some value in me even though I failed you in so many ways.

Now how will I treat my brother?

THEMOST EXCELLENT WAY #15C

2009-06-29T12:56:00.000-07:00

PETER'S HOUSE IN CAPERNAUM

Paul said that love "...always protects...""...covers...". Zodhiates' comment on this is that love "...hides the faults of others..." and that the word for "protect" means "...to cover over in silence..."

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Isn't it wonderful that God loves us enough to cover our sins?(Ro. 4:7) The scripture says loads to those who advertise and put on exhibition the faults of others rather than to cover, protect, hide their shortcomings. And for such folks it must be a distasteful fact that in the context of love Jesus encourages us: "You...must be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect..."(Mt. 5:48)(Amplified)

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That type of behavior just simply does not fit the agendas of some religionists. Love is primary according to Jesus. And if Jesus' admonition is taken seriously unity will prevail among Christians.

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Thousands of pages of manuscript have been written and published to promote disunity among brothers that would never have been written had Jesus' advise been taken. Recently I was handed an article by some well meaning person who I believe has a sincere interest in my spiritual condition. However, as I read the article it became obvious that the writer was intent on establishing himself right and others wrong on three distinct points. The conclusions seemed to be pointed and right. However, love that is primary, was never mentioned. The writer's intention, it seemed to me, was to scold what he called "liberal brethren." I wondered, as I read, if the author realized that the Christian faith and knowledge according to I Cor. 13:2 and I Cor. 13:13 will take a back seat to love. It is the greatest according to the apostle.

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Jesus said "...love...your neighbor as (you do) yourself."(Mt. 22:39)(Amplified) All men have deficiencies and faults both doctrinal and personal. If those faults are accentuated then unity cannot prevail. What if love came first?
Nobody is perfect in understanding. Comfort might be had in being more perfect than someone else but ultimately, of course, we all are in the same spiritual boat. Our righteousness comes from God. Anything else is as filthy rags.(Isa. 64:6) How does Jesus see us and how we should see one another is the key element of unity.

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One of the most beautiful examples of "to cover in silence" is seen in Jesus' dealings with Peter. Peter was handpicked by Jesus to be an apostle, left all to follow Jesus, was outstanding as a participant in the earthly ministry of Jesus, witnessed firsthand Jesus raising the dead, healing, feeding over 9000 people with a few fish and a little bread, watched Jesus calm a turbulent sea, saw Him cast out demons, was present and a spokesman at the transfiguration. Jesus, according to some, stayed at Peter's house in Capernaum. How many conversations did they have? How many prayers did they pray together? John said of Jesus: "...there are also many other things which Jesus did. If they should be all recorded one by one(in detail), I suppose that even the world itself could not contain(have room for) the books that would be written."(Jn. 21:25)(Amplified) No doubt Peter was privileged to see and experience many of the things John spoke of that were never written about.

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Yet during Jesus' darkest hour on earth Peter committed the unexpected. He cowardly denied Jesus and openly and emphatically stated his denials. Matthew recorded that he even "...began to curse and to swear..." while twice saying of Jesus "I do not know the man."(Mt. 26:74)(Interlinear) Then he "...wept bitterly..."(Mt. 26:75)

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What would Jesus do with such a man? What in the world would the other disciples do with such a man? But of course Jesus had already told them "...you will all fall away on account of me."(Mt. 26:31)(NIV) Even so, according to some present day religionists there had to be a distinction. Maybe we could accuse him of verbally denying Christ while we did not. There must be some reason for uncovering his sins. What about the inner circle? What would they think of him? How about the developing church? The presumption of Peter! All those things he bragged about! Didn't he say he would die before he would deny Christ? At Caeserea Philippi did he not try to tell Jesus outright that Jesus would not have to die? He even cut off Malchus' ear at the arrest! He had been so trustworthy, so dedicated, so dependable, so hardworking. Now look at him! What a blessing Peter's fate did not rest in the hands of such critics and faultfinders. Rather it rested in the hands of a loving God and a caring Savior.

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I recently heard a young preacher speak of the numbers of "fallen" preachers as if they no longer had any value in the Kingdom of God, nor would they ever have any value to it. What would Jesus do with such a fallen man especially one who went out and "wept bitterly."(Mt. 26:75) Tongue in cheek comments and ego building on the weaknesses of others is not the way agape love operates.

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The scriptural take on the weaknesses of others is: "Brothers, if a man is trapped in some sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself; you also may be tempted." "Carry each other's burdens and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ."(Gal. 6:1-2)(NIV)

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Quite to the contrary of the take of the young preacher on the "fallen" was a comment I read recently. The writer stated his sorrow at the number of men who were preachers, teachers, servants in ministries of all sorts who had been expelled from their duties and forgotten because of the malicious and calloused judgments of others.

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Wonder how Peter would have fared among some religious societies. Or for that matter how about Moses, David, Abraham, Jacob, Paul, etc.etc.etc....
Would Peter have preached the first gospel sermon for them.(Acts 2) Would I and II Peter have been accepted into the canon of scripture. Would the former cripple of Acts 3:1-9 have gone "walking" "jumping" "praising God". Under the guidance of some religionists none of this would have happened if Peter's ministry had been taken from him because of his weaknesses. Peter's success as a Christian worker and preacher was so useful that "...more and more men and women believed in the Lord..."(Acts 5:14) (NIV) And his effectiveness as a healer became so well known that people were bringing the sick into the streets "and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter's shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by."(Acts 5:15)(NIV)

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So what would Jesus do with such a man as Peter who was among those who "...will fall away..."(Mt. 26:31)(NIV)

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The decision was reached on resurrection morning. Women went to the tomb to anoint Jesus' body. He was gone from the tomb. The angel of the Lord who was there made a very significant statement for Peter's benefit I believe. The message to the women was: "...go your way, tell His disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see Him,..."(Mk. 16:7)(KJV) Briefly spoken Peter, Jesus has not given up on you.

Wonder what Peter thought when he got the message. Luke tell us "Peter...got up and ran to the tomb..."(Luke 24:12)(NIV)

Jesus appeared to his disciples on various occasions over a 40 day period before he ascended to heaven. The heading over John 21:15-25 in the NIV reads : "Jesus Reinstates Peter." Here is one man who let Jesus down that experienced how the love of Christ covers and protects. Jesus told Peter "Feed My lambs..."(Jn. 21:15) "...take care of my sheep..."(Jn. 21:16) "Follow me."(Jn. 21:19)(KJV)
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And He tells us "A new commandment I give you: Love one another as I have loved you, so you must love one another."(Jn. 13:34)(NIV)
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It occurs to me at least that our take on scripture is fuzzy and deluded if we believe that a fallen person, a sinful person, a weak person who has a desire to serve Jesus, who is sorry for his sins and repentant of those sins, who is qualified to serve Christ, who has left all to follow Him, no longer has any place to serve in His kingdom. It also occurs to me that those who think so need to pick up their Bibles and learn what scripture really does say about love and forgiveness and reconciliation and renewal. The love of God and the love of the church is called agape...We will ourselves to cover and protect others. Jesus did. His true children will do the same...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-06-26T18:44:00.000-07:00

Hey Patchy
Chloe and Laura

Jennifer and Blake

Chloe, Laura, Andie, Wayne, Jennifer, Blake

Tanner, Rylea, Tyler, Reagan, Carley

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME

What a great birthday party it was! We ate cake, ice cream, pizza..After the party we all went to a movie..Thank you Lajuana for organizing and getting everything ready. It was such a special day for me. All the grandkids were there except Gabe who was in a ball tournament and Scott who was out of town, and Chelsea, who was at work. The pictures depict the great time we had. I will remember this great party...Thanks for making me so very happy....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY FROM MY GIRLS

2009-06-24T15:50:00.000-07:00

THANK YOU GIRLS

What a wonderful birthday I am having this

year! Laura, Amy and Jennifer treated

LaJuanah and I to dinner to celebrate my

birthday. Girls you will never know how

very special this was and how happy you

made us. We love you all so very much

and love every time we are able to spend

with you. Thank you so much

DAD

THE EXCELLENT WAY #15B

2009-06-13T07:32:00.000-07:00

THE JORDAN RIVER

Is it possible that one can go to church somewhere every Sunday, give liberally of his or her means, preach, teach Bible lessons, have vibrant faith and still be deficient of God's expectations of him or her? Paul says so, for if love and its qualities do not motivate us in our relationships with others, Paul says we may do all the above yet "...gain nothing..." and be "...nothing..."(I Cor. 13:2,3)

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The most excellent way according to Paul is the way of love. The Interlinear translates "...the most excellent way..."(I Cor. 12:31) as "beyond comparison." And this way "...always protects..." (NIV) "...covers..."(Interlinear)
One popular commentator wrote of this particular quality of love that it does not divulge the faults of others publicly. How different that is to the way some treat their "sinning" brothers. The way the unloving violate I Cor. 13:7 is to rationalize the truth about love that Paul teaches here. Rationalization is an evasive tactic, a ploy, to excuse one's actions and allow opinionated people laterality in dealing with the weaknesses of others.

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Some rationalizations are based on pure prejudice or ignorance of the word. Some tout Bible knowledge but have mistakenly formulated a life-style based on rationalizations of the truth which negatively affect others, at least a few others, for convenience sake.
There are numbers of them but the most destructive of unity and proper relations I have heard in my 50+ years of being born again goes something like this. "The Bible tells us not to have fellowship with certain ones, including some brothers." On the surface that does not sound like a rationalization. But in practice it sometimes is. Actually there is Bible support for disfellowship. But so often this rationalization improperly uses scripture to ruin the lives and souls of others. And of course that is not the purpose of scripture.
Yet some who rationalize I Cor. 13:7 feel justified and even satisfied in doing so. It is very true that the Apostle Paul wrote that love "...always protects..."(I Cor. 13:7) It is also equally true that he wrote: "Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them."(Eph. 5:11)(NIV) Paul also wrote:"... I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat."(I Cor. 5:11)(NIV)

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I have seen misguided religionists do great harm in their religious societies because they have overextended, misconstrued, misapplied and even selectively applied this passage. Often there is a dark, hidden motive in doing so. For if the passage were universally applied without some comprehension of what Paul is talking about here, then of course, there would be no possiblity at all of unity in the church.

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How do we explain this? Perhaps we can use 9-11 as an illustration. The ones who flew those planes into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and attempted to fly another into Washington were calloused, brutal and uncaring destroyers of men's lives. The great tragedy of Christianity is that sometimes caring and uncalloused sinners are categorized with such uncaring and calloused because of the whims of those who rationalize the truth. Some have placed the broken and sinful brother who realizes his condition and is attempting to reach the healing of the Savior, to be forgiven and reconciled, in a hopeless predicament because of their rationalizations.

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Lately I have been privileged to experience an opposite viewpoint. I have worshipped where numbers of sinful people have been accepted into fellowship. Their testimonies are heart rending. Their stories are tragic. They fall on their faces literally. The crumple to their knees. Tears stream from their eyes. How refreshing it is to see the acceptance of those around them. No sin is too great. Truly love "...cover..." "...protects..." the faults of others.

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Others who are prone to rationalize I Cor. 13:7 by using I Cor. 5:11 as an excuse simply do not see the whole picture. Certainly action was taken by the church at Corinth because of the immoral behavior of the man of I Cor. 5. Paul told them "...expel the wicked man..."(I Cor. 5:13) And they did. But that was not done as a spiritual life sentence. The instruction was meant to bring about repentance in the man's life. When he repented, they were told just a few weeks later: "...forgive and comfort him..." "...reaffirm your love for him..."(II Cor. 2:7-8). Those who rationalize seldom do that...
Those who major in rationalizations may need also to look very closely at what Paul says about the "...wicked..." and "...unrighteous..." in I Cor. 5:13 and I Cor. 6:9. This immoral man of I Cor. 5 was living with his father's wife. What a terrible sin. How wicked a life-style. But note some of the other sins Paul lists as being "...wicked...": "fornication"("male prostitute") "greedy man"("a defrauder for gain") "idolater"("worshipper of idols") "reviler"("railer") "drunkard"("drunkard") "swindler"("extortioner")(I Cor. 5:11(Interlinear)(Definitions: Zodhiates) In I Cor. 6 Paul adds to the list he already mentioned in I Cor. 5 and calls those who practice such sins "unrighteous." He adds: "adulterers"("involves at least one person who is married") "effeminate"("the effeminate who allows himself to be sexually abused") "homosexuals"("a man who lies in bed with another man") "thieves"("to take by stealth")(I Cor. 6:9-10)

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Interesting to me that Paul would mention among these heinous sins such things as those who defraud others, those who use stealth and take from others, and those who would slander a brother and apply them all to the wicked or unrighteous. And also interesting that after having listed all these sins Paul said to the Corinthians: "...that is what some of you were..."(I Cor. 6:11) Note he uses past tense. What had happened? He tells them "...you were washed..." "...you were sanctified..." "...you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God."(I Cor. 6:11)(NIV)
Paul also told them "...you are the body of Christ."(I Cor. 12:27)(NIV) Isn't it amazing that people who had lives so steeped in sin could make up the Church of Christ in Corinth...What caused this? John tells us "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God."(I Jn. 3:1)(NIV)

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What would happen to the wicked man who had been expelled from them who had committed a sin like those they had commited before they were forgiven? There would be no rationalization about it. He would simply be loved and forgiven and he was reinstated.
The paradox about all this is that those who rationalize the possibility of forgiveness and fellowship of their repentant brothers and disallow it are in danger themselves. So the perfect become imperfect. Those who accuse others of "fleshly" behavior become "fleshly" themselves.

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If one follows Paul's teachings in other places he speaks of "...works of the flesh..."(Gal. 5:19)(KJV) and "...former way of life..."(Eph. 4:22)(NIV) And the list should be revealing for those who rationalize their brothers' spiritual condition. Note they are: "hate" "malice" "falsehood" "anger" "unwholesome talk" "slander" "bitterness" "discord" "factions" "dissensions".

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John said very simply "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us." "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."(I Jn. 1:8-9)(NIV) Jesus said "If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him."(Lk. 17:3)(NIV) "A new commandment) I give you: Love one another, As I have loved you, so you must love one another."(Jn. 13:34)(NIV

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In view of all the scripture tells us about the "wicked" the "unrighteous" the "works of the flesh" and "the former way of life." And in view of what John said about all Christians being deceived if they claim to be "without sin" and God being willing to love and forgive us all, one would think those who try to rationalize their actions toward repentant folks in the church would give it all up. My experience has been that many of them won't do that.

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That being the case those of us who would practice rationalizations and kick repentant brothers out of the church perhaps need to listen to another exhortation of Jesus. "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."(Mt. 7:1-2)(NIV) Paul would say: "You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things."(Ro. 2:1)

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If ones rationalizations would cause him to doubt the repentance of another brother, or if one would use his spiritual perfection to justify his judgement of another brother may I simply direct that one to I Cor. 5, I Cor. 6, Gal. 5, Eph. 4, etc.,etc.,etc....
The brother of our Lord, James said: "If...you are observing the sovereign law laid down in Scripture, 'Love your neighbor as yourself', that is excellent. But if you show snobbery, you are committing a sin and you stand convicted by the law as transgressors. For if a man keeps the whole law apart from one single point, he is guilty of breaking all of it. For the One who said, 'Thou shalt not commit adultery,' said also, 'Thou shalt not commit murder.' You may not be an adulterer, but if you commit murder you are a law-breaker all the same. Always speak and act as men who are to be judged under a law of freedom. In that judgement there will be no mercy for the man who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgement."(James 2:8-13)(NEB)

THE EXCELLENT WAY 15A

2009-06-03T15:29:00.000-07:00

EN-GEDI LOOKING TOWARD THE DEAD SEA(click on the picture for a larger view of En-gedi)

Paul said of love: "...it always protects..."(I Cor. 13:7)(NIV) The Interlinear translates this portion of Paul's writing about love that it "...all things covers."

The word for "protect" or "cover" is stegei. Adam Clarke said that it is the grand and distinguishing property of love to cover and conceal the faults of another. He makes a pertinent remark that the captious and censorious ought to heed. "A person under the influence of this love never makes the sins, follies, faults or imperfections of any man the subject either of censure or conversation."

I have wondered as I have studied the definition of love Paul gave why he just kept hammering again and again its effects on relationships. Of course the reason is that he was inspired by the Holy Spirit. Every characteristic Paul gives of love points directly to how those who have agape love in their lives will properly treat one another.

The Corinthians seemed to have been a divided people on several fronts. The cure for that was love. Certainly the carping, criticizing, judging, accusing, damning would stop if love were present. For "...it always protects..." "...covers...".

Recently I watched a National Geographic documentary about the events of 9-11. I must admit that the meanness it took to blatantly kill thousands of innocent victims and in the process adversely affect thousands more would be difficult to "...cover..." I am not real sure I could. Ultimately though, forgiving, even our enemies, does not mean we have to like what they do.

The covering of sin must be related to the attitude, in some respect, of those whose sins are being covered. Otherwise we would have to "...cover..." the sins of those folks who flew those planes into The World Trade Center and the Pentagon and destroyed the lives of those who foiled their plans to crash another plane in Washington, and folks like them. The unity of the church can only be had when brothers are realistic about sin and are confessing and repenting of their sins concurrently. When any one person, in his own mind, conceives his perfection and his superiority over others unity suffers. When folks are making distinct, willfull efforts to cover the wrongs of each other then it is that unity is made possible.

One of the greatest enemies of covering one another's sins is what I call selective covering. The question arises as to which sins and how many sins should we cover. The language of Paul is unmistakable. The Greek word he uses is panta. The word means "all." Zodhiates says stegeo simply means "love hides the faults of others." How many? Paul says, "...all...". That leaves no room for selective covering.

Peter used a synonym of stegeo in I Pet. 4:8. The word is kalupto. It means "to envelop" according to Zodhiates. Zodhiates tells us that Peter is saying "to cause a multitude of sins to be overlooked and not punished." The Amplified translates Peter's words "...love covers a multitude of sins--forgives and disregards the offenses of others." The N.E.B. reads "...love cancels innumerable sins."

David had to be thankful for that reality. I am told that he wrote many of the Psalms from En-gedi. I have been privileged to be there. It is a lonesome place near the Dead Sea. Where he wrote Psalms 32...I am unaware. David was a thoughtful and God-seeking man. He was a man approved as very few. God considered him from his youth to be after His heart. How thankful David must have been of the grace of God. He wrote: "Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven and whose sins are covered" while he was confessing his sins to God. Paul quoted David in Ro. 4:7 and applied those words to us. Praise His glorious Name! Paul used the very same word for "cover" as the Septuagint has in Ps. 32:1. (epekaluphthesan) "Blessed are those whose offences have been forgiven and whose sins have been covered."(NIV)

God covers the sins of believers. That is Paul's premise in Romans 4. And Paul says love will cause us to do the same for other believers.

THE MOST EXCELLENT WAY #14

2009-06-01T09:05:00.000-07:00

The Garden of Gethsemane

"Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth..."(I Cor. 13:6)(NIV) "It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail.'(Amplified) "it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right."(RSV) "does not gloat over other men's sins, but delights in the truth."(NEB) "does not rejoice over unrighteousness, but rejoices with truth."(Interlinear)

Matthew Henry says of this aspect of love: "It takes no pleasure in doing injury or hurt to anyone..." "...it wishes ill to none..." "Nor will it rejoice at the faults of others..." "It is the very height of malice to take pleasure in the misery of a fellow creature." "It gives much satisfaction to see truth and justice prevail among men."

The word for rejoice is chairei. It means, according to Zodhiates, "to be glad." Adikia is the Greek word for "evil" "wrong." Zodhiates says one of its meanings is "to injure someone."

The usage of the Greek preposition in this description of love is interesting. The NEB describes it exactly when it says that love "...does not gloat over other men's sins..." Scholors tell us that the usage of the preposition epi here expresses the cause of joy and rejoicing. So it is then that if agape love exists in anyone's life, evil or wrong or injury in another person's life cannot cause joy.

The sinister and dark behavior that produces pleasure because of other's shortcomings, failures, and injury might and often does occur, but if so love is gone and something else has crept into life to produce that corrupt atmosphere.

In Matthew 18 Jesus taught the Parable of the Lost Sheep. Here we find rejoicing over the finding of one lost sheep. The passage indicates that our Father in heaven "...is happier about(epi) that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off."(Mt. 18:13) (NIV) What an intense interest the Father had in that one sheep. But how different would have been His reaction if He had not loved that lost sheep. It would have been easy to say "let him go" "he wandered off" "it is his fault" "he was so negligent" "he deserves his plight." Love just simply would not let him go.

Scripture records two instances of Jesus weeping. One occasion was at the events surrounding the death of his good friend Lazarus. John 11:35 says simply "Jesus wept." Another time Jesus wept is recorded in Luke 19. The unselfish and magnanimous spirit of the Savior prevailed here for it was only a short time before he would die the cruelist and most painful death imaginable. And His death would be at the hands of the people he sorrowed for. Luke 19:41 reads: As He approached Jerusalem and saw the city, He wept over it and said, "If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace..." (NIV) Jesus knew their coming plight. And He told them of it. "The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side." "They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave on stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you." (Lk. 19:43-44)(NIV) Jesus did not revel in all this. He did not rejoice in their plight. He wept over their self-imposed predicament.

In 70 A.D. Jerusalem suffered the very thing Jesus predicted. The Romans sorrounded the city. All supplies were cut off. The people held out for five months but ultimately resorted to cannibalism. Then total destruction came to Jerusalem and even the temple was desecrated and destroyed.

Jesus knew they were headed toward disaster. He was the omniscient One. He was the true King. He was the Lord of Lords. He was perfection sent down here to die for them and He remained perfection. He was tempted in every respect yet He did not sin. And ultimately He became sin for all people. Yet he wept instead of retaliating and rejoicing over their ultimate demise.

After His resurrection and before His ascension he commissioned some men to go forth a declare a message called the gospel. And they began reaching out with this gospel to the very people who crucified Him. (Mt. 28:18-20) And many of them were saved(Acts 2:47) because "God so loved the world..."(Jn. 3:16) He continues to reach out instead of condemn and rejoice over the evil in our lives. He says to all men: "Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden and over burdened, and I will cause you to rest-I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls."(Mt. 11:28)(Amplified)

As we become increasingly aware of our wretched and sinful lives aren't we all thankful that "Love keeps no score of wrongs; does not gloat over other men's sins..."(I Cor. 13:6)(NEB)

One point I don't want to miss here and one that gives me personal comfort is that not only did Jesus refuse to "gloat over men's" circumstances, he reached out and assisted them.

The very sad thing is that so many "Christian" societies have just the opposite viewpoint Jesus had and still maintain they are a loving society of Christians. That does not pass the "truth" test, if you will.

"The Most Excellent Way" would demand that we act differently for "...does not gloat over other men's sins..."

THE MOST EXCELLENT WAY #13

2009-05-27T12:09:00.000-07:00

Golgotha

"Father forgive them..."

Luke 23:34

Paul tells us in I Cor. 13:5 something else about love. "...it keeps no records of wrongs..."

One premise of this writing is that where there is no love there can be no unity among Christians. This description of love is proof because as long as Christians point accusing fingers at one another disunity will prevail.

This explanation of love may be one of the most telling about one's genuineness as a Christian. What an admonition! Yet who has not been guilty of violating this evident principle of love? Wrongs done to us can be so devastating to us physically, emotionally, psychologically, financially and in many other respects.

The best place to go when confronted with this detriment to unity is Golgotha, a lonely chunk of rock in Jerusalem where supposed malefactors were crucified. View the visage of that broken and lacerated and torn one. View the violated one. View the one who had no place to lay His beautiful head. View the one who walked dusty roads and climbed rock strewn mountains. View that Sacred One who gave Himself for all men. And hear him say "Father forgive them..."

Hear Him speak to us His children. Our scorekeeping of others' sins and our rationalizations for doing so fade in the light of the one who died for us all. They are much like the accusations of that mob who presented the adulterous woman to Jesus and told Him she deserved to be stoned. Jesus said "If anyone of you is without sin, let him begin stoning her."(Jn. 8:7) So while He wrote on the ground "...those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first..."(Jn. 8:9)

Jesus had no sin, yet from that pain racked body came to words "Father forgive them..." That my friends was love in action. And He calls on His children to love like that. "...forgive your brother from your heart."(Mt. 18:35) "...if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you."(Mt. 6:14) "If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if repents, forgive him." "If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, 'I repent,' forgive him."(Lk. 17:3-4)

God keeps no such records and He expects the same of His children. He forgives completely. "As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us."(Ps. 103:12)(KJV) "Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered." "Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit."(Ps. 32:1-2)(NIV) "I will forgive their wickedness, and will remember their sins no more."(Heb. 8:12)(NIV) "Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more."(Heb. 10:17)(NIV) "And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins."(Ro. 11:27)(NIV)

Sad note that God will do for us what we sometimes won't do for others. No doubt our humanity gets in the way sometimes. Performance based Christianity demands that.

I wonder sometimes, knowing human nature, if some of those folks at Corinth were not angered as the brother of the prodigal son was when that boy came back to the Father. The prodigal had made so many mistakes. He had ruined his life. He had spent his inheritance. He had hurt so many. And so had the immoral man of Corinth. Yet Paul told the Corinthians about that man "forgive and comfort him."(II Cor. 2:7)

Why would Paul ask them to do that. It was all about agape love. And that love "...keeps no records of wrongs..." The word for wrongs here is kakon. It means, according to Zodhiates, "evil done to anyone, harm, injury." Paul is saying that love will not record those things.

When love is present recording others sins is not. The word for record keeping is logizomai. It means "to number" "to count." God counts the righteousness of Christians and makes no notations of our weaknesses by His grace. "...for us, to whom God will credit (logizesthai) righteousness--for us who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead."(Ro. 4:21) That is the kind of counting a loving God does..

Where would we all be if God were more interested in keeping records of our weaknesses, faults, sins than understanding our weaknesses and forgiving and saving us?

How thankful we should be that love "...keeps no record of wrongs..."

THE MOST EXCELLENT WAY #12

2009-05-26T13:14:00.000-07:00

"
"...I tell you that anyone who is angry with

his brother will be subject to judgement"

Matt. 5:22

In I Cor. 13:5 Paul says of love "...ou paroxunetai..."

The Interlinear says of this: "...Love..." "...is not provoked..."(I Cor. 13:4-5)

The N.I.V. reads:"...is not easily angered..."

The Amplified says: "...is not touchy or fretful or resentful..."

The Greek word here is paroxuno. It means "to sharpen" "to incite" "to irritate" "arouse to anger or indignation" according to Zodhiates.

Love then is not fretful, resentful, irritated, indignant or provoked.

Synonyms mean "to stir to anger."

Paul and Barnabas were going on the second missionary journey. Barnabas wanted to take John Mark. Paul did not. Acts 15:39 tells us "There was such a sharp disagreement(paroxusmos) that they parted company..."

This was over a practical matter. But what about circumstances where Christian fellowship is endangered? What about times when deep soul affecting decisions must be made? What about the weaknesses and errors in the lives of our brothers? It is here that what Paul said is so important. "...Love..." "...is not provoked..."

Matthew Henry commented about love: "It corrects sharpness of temper, sweetens and softens the mind....." "When the fire of love is kept in, the flames of wrath will not easily kindle..." "It is hard to be angry with those we love, but very easy to drop our resentments and be reconciled."

THE MOST EXCELLENT WAY #11

2009-05-26T10:25:00.000-07:00

The Temple Mound

The eleventh in our looks at Paul's description of love in I Cor. 13 brings us to this definition: "...love..." "...is not self-seeking..."(I Cor. 13:5)

Jesus made reference to loving God and our neighbor. He said "...There is no greater commandment than these."(Mk. 12:30-31)

The word greater here is meizon. Paul used this same word in I Cor. 13:13 when referring to faith, hope and love. He said "...the greatest of these is love..."

It is not surprising then that love is "...the most excellent way..."(I Cor. 12:31)

Matthew Henry's comments on the fact that love is not self-seeking were

"Charity is the utter enemy of selfishness..."

Do we hear someone say that we are supposed to love ourselves. That is true. But Jesus said remember "...love your neighbor as yourself."(Mt. 19:19; Mt. 22:39)

James, the brother of Jesus quoted the same scripture "...Love your neighbor as yourself."(Ja. 2:8) The context of James's writing was that of forbidding favoritism. And he tells them his readers "...if you show favoritism, you sin..."(Ja. 2:8)

When one combines "...love your neighbor as yourself..." with "Do to others as you would have them do to you...'(Lk. 6:31) a whole vista of possible positive relationships among folks occurs.

And when one truly accepts the fact that true agape love will not permit and promote selfishness, then it is that we truly permit others into our little worlds.

Paul had earlier written to the Corinthians "Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others."(I Cor. 10:24) And he practiced what he preached.

"...I am not seeking my own good but the good of many..."(I Cor. 10:33)

The Amplified says it well. "...Love..." "...does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking."

A relevant word to this idea and one that conveys the results of self-seeking is authades. It means, according to Zodhiates, "...one who is pleased with himself..." "...and despises others..." Zodhiates gives us a characterization of such a person when he says that such a person is one who "...obstinately maintains his opinion or asserts his own rights but is reckless of the rights, feelings, and interests of others." Do you know anybody like that? Peter uses this word in II Pet. 2:10 when he calls such a a work of the flesh as "...self-willed..."

Another word akin to this idea of being self-seeking is philautos. Arndt and Gingrich and Vine tell us that this word is "...loving oneself..." Zodhiates adds the meanings of "...self-centered..." "...selfish..." A sign of the last days, according to Paul is "...people will be lovers of themselves..."(II Tim. 3:2)

Other words akin to "...self-seeking..." are what Barclay calls "The Words of Impious Pride". These words are hubris and hubristes. And they relate directly to why some folks cannot live in unity with others. They love themselves so much they have no problem mistreating others.

Zodhiates defines hubrizo as "to act insolently or spitefully toward someone" "to treat shamefully" "to abuse". He defines hubristes as "an insolent persecutor of others who mistreats them for the pleasure which the affliction of the wrong brings to him."

Paul gives this tendency a place among those things that are characteristic of those who "...did not think it was worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God..."(Ro. 1:28-30)

Barclay gives a complete discussion of these words in his book New Testament Words. Some of the statements he makes about them accentuate the fact that in their presence love cannot exist. "...thirst for power which drives a man headlong on the path to unbridled self-assertion..." "It provokes...the feeling of righteous indignation...in his fellow men." "arrogant contempt which makes" one "trample on the hearts of his fellow men."

Ultimately there can be no unity produced by such behavior. James capsulates it for us in James 3:14-16..."...if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil." "For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice."

The Most Excellent Way #10

2009-05-01T15:10:00.000-07:00

" Blessed are those who mourn, for they will

be comforted. " Matthew 5:4
The next admonition Paul gave to the Corinthian church in describing "...The Excellent Way..."(I Cor. 12:31), was "...Love..." "...is not rude..."(I Cor. 13:5). While the NIV has the foregoing translation the Interlinear records: "...does not behave disgracefully..." The Amplified adds "...unbecomingly..." The KJV says "...unseemly...".

The Greek word here is aschemonei. On the surface, to some, the word may say to them "just be nice to one another" or "don't be unpleasant" or "have a sweet smile" or "have an agreeable countenance" or "exude a likable disposition before others." And then "duty done."

Christian relationships prompted by love are more meaningful than that, even though a sweet dispostion is good. Our relationships are more than mere surface sentiments and appearances. Unity is acheived by love during the bad times, the struggles, the sins, the imperfections, the problems, the differences. These are all litmus tests that prove or disprove love.

The word aschemonei addresses just how truly concerned Christians are for one another. Zodhiates says this word tells us that love does not react or behave in an ugly manner. It is translated "...disgrace..."(I Cor. 7:36) We should not then disgrace others. Zodhiates further indicates the meaning as "...love in its speech and action seeks to contain no evil, but seeks to change the evildoers."

Adam Clarke tells us: "...love never acts out of it place or character." He said "...I never wish to meet with those who affect to be called blunt honest men, who feel themselves above all the forms of respect and civility, and care not how many they displeasure."

It means to me that Christians do not turn their heads at the weakness of others, but the key thing is how this weakness is dealt with or more correctly how we help others deal with their problems and weaknesses. Love will not allow us to appoint ourselves to demoralize, destroy, debilitate, demean, or devastate others.

Synonyms of aschemonei reinforce this idea. Atimazo is one and according to Zodhiates, it means "to dishonor" "treat with indignity." Jesus used this word, according to Luke, in the parable of the tenants in Luke 20. When a certain servant was sent to the tenants of the man's vineyard to get fruit from the vineyard, Jesus said that man was treated "...shamefully..."(atimasantes) The owner of the vineyard then sent His Son. But the tenants "...threw him out of the vineyard and killed him." If one reads on one gets the point of God's attitude of those who shamefully mistreat others.

Another synonym is entrepo. Sometimes in our study we run across a gem we have been looking for to better clarify our understanding of truth. This is one of those gems to me. It is the very opposite of bruttishness, boorishness, bullism. It will not allow us a cloak of righteousness whereby we rationalize our position to give ourselves the right to take advantage of others who might be sinful, fallen, or weak. Under the influence of this word folks are seen in a different light.

There is no doubt that discipline is proper and appropriate for the blatant and uncaring. Inspiration calls for discipline for that behavior. Entrepo allows that. It means "to withdraw" "to shame" "put to shame." Yes even brothers can be disciplined, if they have become hardened and uncaring sinners. .(II Thess. 3:14-15) But discipline is not a means of destruction. It is always a means of reconciliation. Actually William Barclay tells us that the word for discipline in the N.T. is a word which literally means "mending nets." It is interesting that that is the word Paul uses in I Cor. 1:10, when he is encouraging the church at Corinth to unity. He tells them that they should be "...peferfectly joined together..."

When discipline is practiced it is designed to keep the channels of communication open between Christians. So often that is not the case. Knee jerk reactions to others weaknesses have caused what Barclay called "...retributory punishment..." and in so many cases vengeful practices result in shame, disgrace, and dishonor.

Jesus taught quite the opposite in his earthly ministry. In Luke 15 He taught about the Lost Son. Fact is if the Father of that son had been like many today the prodigal would have been shunned for the rest of his life. The Father would have rejected him and his life would have been one of hopelessness and despair. Many have missed the point of the parable and the application. The Father was God and since God is love, He did not react in a derogatory manner towards that pentitent boy. Untold damage has been done and is being done in the Kingdom of God by the highhanded tactics of some. That is not love. Love is not rude.

Paul taught the Corinthians a firsthand lesson about this. A man lived among them who was practicing immorality. He told them to expel the man.(I Cor. 5) But was the sentence a life sentence? No! Just a few months later Paul wrote to them, and in II Cor. 2:8 we read Paul's instructions about the same man. "...forgive and comfort him..." "...reaffirm you love for him..." In some pompous circles that is not possible. The shunning would continue indefinitely.

I must tell you that the word for "...comfort..." here is parakalesai. It means "to aid" "to help" "encourage" according to Zodhiates. Note that all these meanings involve involvement and participation on the part of those Corinthians.

Isn't it interesting that so-called Bible students sometimes miss the point of the greatest sermon ever preached, The Sermon on the Mount. For if they had not missed the point, they would not treat their brothers with disdain and disrespect and shame them. Jesus made the statement in that sermon: "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted."(Mt. 5:4) The word for mourn here is penthountes. Literally it says "...the one mourning..." It means "to be sad" "sorrowful." For what should one be sad. Adam Clarke says of this circumstance: "only such persons as are deeply convinced of the sinfulness of sin, feel the plague of their own heart." He goes on to say that such men "...have promises of God's solid comfort..." Matthew Henry describes this mourning as:"A penitential mourning for our own sins..." Paul said "...God...comforts the downcast..."(II Cor. 7:6) Do we?

Another synonym is kataischuno. It means "to shame" "dishonor" "disgrace." Paul uses it in a discussion of the Lord's Supper in I Cor. 11. There seemed to be a lack of respect for some lowly ones in the church. So Paul told them: "..do you despise the church of God and humilitate(kataischunete) those who have nothing."(I Cor. 11:22)

Scripture says "He who believes in Him will not be put to shame..."(Ro. 10:10-11) And "...the one who trusts in Him will never be put to shame..."(I Pet. 2:6) Are we prone to do what God will not do?

Love promotes unity among God's people. There can be no unity in fellowships where shame and disgrace are practiced rather than honor and respect. And if "...love is not rude..." which it is not...then where rudeness is love is not and neither is true unity.

Oh Happy day.............

2009-04-29T06:04:00.000-07:00

It has been said that "a picture is worth a thousand words." Some of you who have been reading my blogs probably are thinking "thank the Lord." However, after I have said "I love those kids..." I can't resist telling you that the Greek word for family affection is storge. Authorities tell us that the word was used to tell of the love of parents for children and the love of children for parents.
Sometime maybe I will have a chance to tell you how proud I am of each one of them. They are so special in their own individual ways. I love them all. And I give thanks for such times as depicted in the pictures above...

The Excellent Way #10

2009-04-23T08:33:00.000-07:00

One Of The Many Bathing Pools In Israel

There were 3000 converts to the church at its miraculous inception.(Acts 2:2; Acts 2:17; Acts 2:41) And at its beginning there was true unity.(Acts 2:44) Soon there was to be a multitude of converts added to the church.(Acts 4:4; Acts 5:14) There was still to be unity.(Acts 4:32) The gospel was eventually preached and spread to the entire world.(Rom. 15:19; Col. 1:6) And numerous churches were established throughout the Roman Empire.

What as the glue that was binding the people of God together in unity? Some would say doctrine or items of worship or decorum of all sorts. But what did Paul give us through inspiration as the cause of our true unity? He said it was love. And lest the Corinthians mistake his meaning, he simply defined it for them.

It is interesting how he did this, though not surprising. He did it with words, specific words. I wonder if they tired of that method. Some do today. It is too meticulous, to wearisome to deal with words in that way. Yet they are so inconsistent. For words are very important to them. How about dinner, golf, ballgames, fishing, vacation, payday, health, grandchildren. Excuse me if that is too preachy.

Paul dealt with many churches with many people with various strengths and weaknesses and backgrounds and preferences. What would mold such people together. He was not about to let them misunderstand his meanings about love. So he used their vernacular and he did it with specific words about love. They understood well enough baptism, belief, repentance, confession, church, etc. But did they understand the true meaning of love. He would not take that chance. For it truly was and is the glue that was intended to protect and enhance their relationships with one another and thus their unity as the people of God.

Paul would say to the Romans "Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellow man has fulfilled the law." "The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet," and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself." "Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law."(Rom. 13:8-10)

Jesus taught that love is the basis of everything spiritual. To the question "...which is the greatest commandment..." Jesus answered that one should "Love the Lord your God with all your heart..." and "...Love your neighbor as yourself."(Mt. 22:36-40) "My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you."(Jn. 15:12)

How this all important word has eluded us. So many of us have great understanding of baptizo(to baptize), homologeo(to confess), metanoeo(to repent), pisteuo(to believe), ekklesia(church), but when it comes to agapao(to love) our thinking is a little fuzzy. I think I know why. Agapao demands something of us daily. It is more than a written handbook of polity; it is more than a philosophical display; it is more than a good sermon or a great speech. It is a lifestyle. And I am afraid all the rest will make very little difference without it...For Jesus said everything is summed up in this word...What glue it is...

Paul's next word study about love is found in I Cor. 13:5..."...it is not rude..."

Patch and Grandkids

2009-04-20T19:29:00.001-07:00

Scott and Tanner went fishing with me the other day and we had a wonderful time. We spent more time talking and catching up because the fish were not cooperating. It was a great day, the sky was clear, a cool breeze blowing perfect for everything except fishing. I truly enjoy spending time with my grandchildren and this was certainly a special day for me. Just wanted to share some of the pictures so you could see how much they have grown.

The Excellent Way #9

2009-04-14T12:07:00.000-07:00

The ninth in our attempts to study Paul's description of love brings us to another statement he made about what love is not. When this negative exists love does not exist. Paul wrote: "...it is not proud..."(I Cor. 13:4)
The Greek word here is phusioutai. The Interlinear translates this "...is not puffed up..." W.E. Vine defines this as "...being puffed up with pride..." Arndt and Gingrich define the word as "puff up, make proud or arrogant..." Zodhiates
tells us, speaking of this word, "...in the NT spoken of only figuratively of pride or self-conceit..."
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A derivative noun form of the word is phusiosis. It means, according to Zodhiates, "a swelling of pride or ambition, arrogance, haughtiness."
Synonyms of these words mean, according to Zodhiates,: "pride, haughtiness, bragging, boasting, empty glory, vain glory, to inflate with pride, to be high-minded, to exalt, to exalt above, to elevate above others, to be vain".
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Tuphoo is one such synonym. Paul uses it with reference to qualifications of overseers when he says that he "...must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited..."(tuphotheis)(I Tim. 3:6) And Paul lists conceit as one of the conditions existing during the "...terrible times in the last days..."(II Tim. 3:4)
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Hupselophroneo is another synonym. It means to be high-minded, proud, arrogant. Paul uses it with reference to some in I Tim. 6:17: "Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant(hupselophronein) nor to put their hope in wealth..."
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Another listed synonym by Zodhiates is epairo. "Metaphorically, to lift up or exalt oneself." Paul spoke to the gullibility of the Corinthians in II Cor. 11:20. He told them "...you..." "...put up with anyone who enslaves you or exploits you or takes advantage of you or pushes himself forward..."(epairetai)
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Other words akin to the one Paul uses in I Cor. 13:4 are huperairo, huperupsoo, and huperphroneo. These words project the ideas of "to exalt above" "to elevate above others" "to be vain or arrogant."
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Such passages as II Thess. 2:4 where the context is that of the second coming of Christ and Paul is discussing events that will precede it. He speaks of the man of lawlessness doomed to destruction and he describes him as the one who "...exalts(huperairomenos) himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped..." He "...even sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God." My, my, the lengths to which some would go to declare their preeminence.
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William Barclay called this collection of words "The Words of Contempt." He made some very interesting comments about them. "...usually translated pride, arrogant." "...included by Paul in his terrible list of the sinners of this world..."(Ro. 1:30) "...included among the sinners of the last days..."(II Tim. 3:2) "God...resists the proud..."(Ja. 4:6)
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Barclay indicated that this one "shows himself above others..." "...looks down..." "...on everyone else..." "...secure in his own arrogant self-conceit..."
As one delves further into Barclay's description of such a person one discovers he projects two distinct ideas of such a person. The attitude "...and wealth were apt to go hand in hand..." And the attitude "...despises men and lifts itself arrogantly against God." "Huperephanos has erected an altar to himself within his own heart, and worships there."
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One other word closely related to this idea of self-conceit and pride is alazoneia. It too is a sin of the last days.(II Tim. 3:1-2) And it is also in the list of despicable sins of Ro. 1:30. John uses the word in I Jn. 2:16 when he presents the three main areas of sins. One of them, according to John, is "...the pride of life..."(alazoneia)The Interlinear has it "...pride about...life's possessions..."
Barclay goes to great length to reveal the seriousness of this sin. He quotes the usage of this word by such men as Plutarch, Aristotle, Plato, etc. and the conclusion from their writings is that this word defines quacks who plied their cure-alls on unsuspecting people. He said that in the NT this refers to false teachers who taught others and claimed to teach truth, and did not know truth themselves and found arguments to justify about anything.
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Zodhiates gives an interesting distinction between alazoneia and huperephania, even though they both are related to pride and arrogance. Zodhiates says that alazonea is a "...sin against truth itself, to think more of oneself in spite of the fact that one knows what the truth is about himself..." He goes on to say that huperephania is a sin against love which would be aware of the needs of others and be involved in the fulfilling of those needs.
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Love "...is not proud..." And when one runs the gamut of words referring to pride and comprehends the deep, dark, selfish lifestyle some live with respect to others, it is no wonder that Paul outlines this attribute as a detriment to Christian unity. None can be had among the proud and conceited for ultimately they are not interested in others at all.

The Excellent Way #8

2009-04-13T08:36:00.000-07:00

Matthew 5:5

"Blessed are the humble, for they will

inherit the earth."

Another negative Paul gave in his description of love in I Cor. 13:4 was "...it does not boast..."(NIV) The Interlinear says "...does not brag..." The Amplified reads "...is not boastful or vainglorious..."

As far as I can tell the Greek word here (perpereuomai) is not used in any other place in the Bible. The noun form from which the word comes, (poneros), according to Zodhiates, is not found in scripture. It means "braggert."

Zodhiates lists several synonyms for perpereuomai but they are also listed as synonyms for the next negative Paul uses in I Cor. 13:4 "...love..." "...is not proud...".

The World Book Dictionary defines "brag" as "to praise oneself in what one has," and it defines "boast" as "to speak highly of oneself."

It is a fact that if one majors in selfism then time for others is limited; the feelings of others are ignored; the needs of others are overlooked; and the only attention others are apt to get is destructive criticism. No wonder unity cannot thrive in such an atmosphere. The passage that tells it all is found in Luke 18.

"To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like all other men--robbers, evildoers, adulterers--or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all my income." But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.' I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."(NIV)(Lk. 18:9-14)

#7 The Excellent Way

2009-04-07T07:57:00.000-07:00

The Mount Of Beatitudes

On this mount Jesus said "...love your enemies..." It was a given that we love our brethren. How sad it is that just a few years later Paul was writing about unity and love to a church that was divided.

The reason unity is difficult for some is because they don't have agape for one another. It is just as simple as that. It was very easy for the church at Corinth to find fault. There were so many faults for them to find. And if one did not love then dwelling on the obvious faults of others was easy. Paul knew that so he presented to them "...The Excellent Way..." to unity.

At this point in our study of his discussion of the Way he turns to some negatives about love. And he teaches everyone that love is not characterized by certain attributes. If they exist love does not.

In I Cor. 13:4 he wrote that love "...does not envy..."(NIV) The RSV reads "...love is not jealous..." The Amplified says "...love is never envious nor boils over with jealousy..."

In the Bible there are two basic Greek words for envy. They are phthonos and zelos. Paul refers to zelos in I Cor. 13:4. Each word can be destructive of proper human relations and therefore destroy unity.

W.E. Vine says that phthonos is "the feeling of displeasure produced by witnessing or hearing of the advantage or prosperity of others..." Spiros Zodhiates says of the word that it is "...always used with an evil meaning..." Vine agrees and adds that the difference between the words is that zelos desires the have the same things as others and phthonos would seek to deprive others of what they have.

Zelos can have a positive sense where phthonos is never used in a positive way according to lexicographers. Zelos can also be like phthonos, negative, and that is the way Paul uses it here.

They both are works of the flesh in this sense. In Gal. 5 Paul lists them both among a motley crew of works that he says will keep one from entering the kingdom of heaven if persisted in. They are called "...the acts of the sinful nature..."(NIV)(Gal. 5:19) The list includes: sexual immorality, impurity, debauchery, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy(zelos), fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, envy(phthonoi), drunkeness, orgies.

Paul lists phthonos in Ro. 1:29-31 along with another catalog of sins that will cause God to turn away from folks if they are persisted in. Interesting that so many Christians practice jealousy and look down their self-righteous noses at other sinners in the list.

Paul even speaks of himself and other Christians in Titus 3:3-5 as having practiced phthonos. "At one time we too were foolishly disobedient, deceived and enslaved to all kinds of passions and pleasures..." "We lived in malice and envy(phthonos), being hated and hating one another..." But something changed all that "...but when the kindness and love of God appeared, he saved us."

Isn't it interesting that in all the various lists of sins Paul lists envy and jealousy as being equally a sin as the others and we don't see it that way?

Peter concurred with Paul. "...rid yourselves of all malice and deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and slander of every kind.'(I Pet. 2:1)

Zodhiates says of zelos that it can "...make war on the good it sees in another..." Indeed this word is not just an emotional state. It displays itself in the way we treat others.

Stephen illustrated this for us in his speech to the Sanhedrin. He said "Because the patriarchs were jealous(zelosantes) of Joseph, they sold him as a slave into Egypt."(Acts 7:9)

The apostles experienced the same effects of ill will from the Jewish leaders of the day. "...the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy."(zelos)(Acts 5:17) "They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail."(Acts 5:18)

On another occasion during one of Paul's successful missionary tours he ran into the same ill will. "When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy(zelou)and talked abusively against what Paul was saying."(Acts 13:45) No wonder Paul encouraged the Christians at Corinth not to be jealous and envious of one another. He knew first hand the harshness and hardness of such folks. And of course later these attitudes would cause his imprisonment and ultimate death.

Paul had earlier written to the Corinthians "You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy(zelos) and quarreling among you, are you not worldly?"(I Cor. 3:3) And a few months later he would write: "...I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be..." "...I fear that there may be..." "...quarreling..." "...jealousy..."(zelos) "...outbursts of anger..." "...factions..." "...slander..." "...gossip..." "...arrogance and disorder..."(II Cor. 12:20)

Isn't it sad that this tendency can cause disunity in the church? God help us to have love for one another and we won't be envious and jealous for love "...does not envy..."

The Excellent Way #6

2009-04-01T08:13:00.000-07:00

The picture accompanying this blog is one of the entrance way to En-gedi where David wrote many of the Psalms. David was aware of the mercy, the compassion, the kindness of God. It is not unusual then that as we come to the New Testament and we hear from another inspired writer that kindness is mentioned as being a key ingredient of Christian love and unity.

In I Cor. 13:4 Paul continues with the distinguishing attributes of agape by writing "...love is kind..." That is an expression of the Christian will, kindness. And if Christian love exists then kindness is present.

The word Paul used for kindness here was chresteuomai. It means, according to Zodhiates, "to be kind" "obliging" "willing to help or assist." And as one studies this word the forgone conclusion is that kindness is more than just a sentiment or a dormant characteristic. It is a word full of action.

The word comes from chrestos which means "good natured" "useful" "gentle" towards others. It is found in Eph. 4:32 where Paul wrote "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." Peter wrote "...you have tasted the kindness of the Lord."(I Pet. 2:3)

Another word related to chresteuomai is chrestotes. It means "profitable" "kindness" "benignity" according to Zodhiates. He says chrestotes is the opposite of cutting something short and quickly. Wow! How the church needs that. Paul admonished the pastors of the church at Ephesus to be kind. Of course, he would not ask other leaders to do what he would not do. So he told the Corinthians that he in every way was willing to show himself to them as a servant of God.(II Cor. 6:4) Then he says as he lists the ways he showed them that "...kindness..." was one of those ways.(II Cor. 6:6) God give us leaders who are kind and who don't jump to conclusions about the flock and cut them short.

Paul uses chrestotes in Eph. 2:7 when he wrote about the way God had expressed his grace to us. He wrote that it was "...expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus." And he told us in Col. 3:12 that we ought to be kind. "...as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves..." "...with kindness..." And he told Titus "But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy." (Titus 3:4-5)

We serve a kind God. This word chrestotes has been described as a mellowing characteristic that does away with harshness. God give us leaders like that in the church.

The synonyms of chresteuomai give us a deeper and fuller grasp of kindness. Paristemi is a synonym that means "to stand beside." It too is an active word that is translated help. Paul introduced the servant Phoebe to the church at Rome. He told them "...give her any help she may need." It is also used of Phoebe when Paul tells them "...she has been a great help to many people, including me..." (Ro. 16:1-2) The Interlinear translates this word "...stand by..."

Antilambanomai is another synonym of chresteuomai. It also means "to help" "be a partaker of" "to succor" acccording to Zodhiates. Interesting that Paul uses this word in his admonitions to the elders of the church at Ephesus. He says "...we must help the weak...'(Acts 20:35) God give us "...overseers..." that willingly help the weak.

Boetheo is another synonym. It means "to aid." We are told that Boetheo comes from two words: "Boe-"a cry" and "theo" "to run." So Zodhiates says that it means "to run on hearing a cry." This word is seen in action in Mark 9 where the father of the possessed boy said to Jesus "...if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us..."(Mark 9:22) And as one reads on one sees the reaction of a loving person who hears a cry and runs to aid and give assistance to another.

Other synonyms mean "to do good" "to benefit""to be useful" It was said of Jesus "...He went around doing good..."(Acts 10:38)

Jesus was so people minded. He was kind, willing to help, useful, gentle, benign, standing beside others, aiding others, running to help, acting beneficially....

Blapto is an antonym of kindness. It means "to endanger" "to hurt" "to hinder" "to disable" "to weaken" "to impede." And the synonyms of this antonym mean "to act unjustly" "injure" "to do evil" "to harm" "to put in a bad mood against another" "to take away" "to consume" "to destroy." Paul uses one of them in I Cor. 6:8 when he spoke to these very Corinthians and said of them: "...you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers." The Greek language was no foreign language to Paul. He used another of these antomyms of kindness in Gal. 5:15 when he wrote: "If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed of each other." Paul described love with a word that was opposite of all the negative ways Christians can treat one another for he said "...love is kind..." A word that helps, stands beside it neighbors, aids them, assists them...

Recently I spent a couple of weeks in the home of two people who epitomize the statement "...love is kind..." Just a few years ago out of the kindness of their hearts they spent thousands of dollars, made two trips overseas, and adopted a little boy who had little hope of any comfortable future whatsoever. Who knows what would have happened to him. And who knows where he would be now. Instead he lives in a Christian home. He loves his Bible his adoptive grandmother gave him. He is healthy and happy.

Christian love is kindness. It is a serving kind of thing. It will bring blessings and unity to not only families but also to churches.

Hope my brother can use some of this as he studies about love. Due to circumstances and a lack of room most of my library is being kept by a kind brother and therefore I do not have ready access to it. I feel a little limited in giving as complete a study as I would like, but hopefully what I can do with the aid of Zodhiates will help....And I am not assuming that you need my help in any way. I know you are quite capable of study. I also know your heart and I thank you for giving me this small part in sharing the gospel...I love you brother....

Thank You So Much

2009-03-25T19:09:00.000-07:00

I would like to thank all those that have been responding to my last couple of blogs. I appreciate the emails and encouragement and thank you for taking the time to write me. I also appreciate the phone calls. Thank you!

THE EXCELLENT WAY #5

2009-03-18T10:39:00.000-07:00

THE MOUNT OF BEATITUDES

Matthew 5

"Don't hit back at all." (The Message)

Thanks for bearing with me for so long as I have tried to get to the description of love as portrayed by Paul in I Cor. 13. I have been dwelling on the words Paul used. He is so specific in his definition and language and the words are so revealing of what love is, that those who are truly interested in knowing about the subject cannot miss the point of true Christian love. The way is clear. To doubt it is to doubt the Apostle and to doubt the meanings of specific words.

Many are not interested in "...the excellent way..." because the price is too much for them to pay. For some the Bible is nothing more than a textbook of proof texts. And if the pieces of the puzzle are not put together as they place them, then there is no chance for unity. The true nature of love as described by Paul will not allow that tact.

I Cor. 12 is a treatise on the unity of the body of Christ in activity and I Cor. 13 is the discussion of how the various parts of the body are to treat one another. And it gives the driving force of the unity of the Church. Christian love will dispel disunity and division. Men might have their individuality and not be perfect clones of one another and still practice unity. Men might be mentally and philosophically different and still be unified. And the key is given in I Cor. 13.

So how does Paul describe love? Not as an excellent way or somebody's idea of an excellent way but as "...the excellent way..."

In verse 4 of I Cor. 13 Paul begins his description and definition by writing "...love is patient..."(NIV) The KJV has it "...charity suffereth long..." And the Amplified has it "...love endures long and is patient..."

The Greek text uses the word "...makrothumeo..." when it says "...love suffers long..." Zodhiates defines the word as just that: "...to suffer long..." "...as opposed to hasty anger or punishment..." Barclay calls it "...the divine patience.." and that stands to reason because that is how God deals with us. Barclay says that the Greek mind would not accept this as a virtue at all. Sadly some today fall in step with the first century Greeks rather than falling in step with the first century Apostle Paul. The Church was instructed to be "...patient..."

Other forms of this word mean basically the same thing, long-suffering, patience and they refer to patience with people. Another word, hupomone, refers primarily to patience toward things and circumstances according to lexicons.

I Cor. 13 is not the only N.T. reference to patience toward people. "...be patient with everyone..."(I Thess. 5:14) "...be patient, bearing with one another in love..."(Eph. 4:2) "...clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience."(Col. 3:12)

Patience is listed as one of the fruits of the Spirit. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control."(Gal. 5:22-24) And Paul's teaching here concurs with his teaching in I Cor. 13. Those who have the Spirit will practice unity. "...keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace..."(Eph. 4:2)

God is a patient God. No wonder. "...God is love..." John wrote: "Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love."(I Jn. 4:8) It does not surprise us at all then that when Paul describes love he says "...love is patient..." because God is patient. Paul wrote to the Romans: "...do you show contempt for the riches of His kindness, tolerance, and patience..."(Ro. 2:4) Peter wrote: "...He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."(II Pet. 3:9) Why is He patient with us? He loves us! Why should we be patient with one another?

I have enjoyed for a number of years the study of synonyms and antonyms of N.T. words. That has proven to be beneficial to me and to an understanding of the meanings of Greek words.

Anoche is listed as a synonym of the derivatives of makrothumeo. It is defined as "tolerance" according to Zodhiates. It is also defined as "to bear with" and "forbearance." Anecho, another synonym, is found in Eph. 4:2 where Paul encourages "...to bear with one another in love." He told the Colossians "...bear with each other..."(Col. 3:13).

Another synonym is epieikeia. It is defined as "clemency" or "gentleness." Zodhiates gives the flavor of its meaning with these words: "Consideration springing from a recognition of the danger that ever lurks upon the assertion of legal rights lest they be pushed to immoral limits." And he further explains it as "The virtue that rectifies and redresses the severity of the sentence." Our vernacular might be "cut me some slack." If there is no tolerance, gentleness, easiness where is love?

We are told that all debts are not called in where patience and forbearance are. Exactness to my personal viewpoints might also have to be forfeited even though I might be right. People are more important than viewpoints. Could that be possible?

Recently my wife made a visit to the doctor for some tests. After the visit I was surprised to look down at the billing and see a big N/C written on the front. No Charge. What an example of anoche. It is possible that there are circumstances when all debts are not called in. Isn't that what God did? "God presented Him as a sacrifice of atonement through faith in His blood. He did this to demonstrate His justice because in His forbearance He had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished."(NIV)(Ro. 3:25) Jesus paid it all. And by His grace (unmerited favor) He saved us. All debts were cancelled. We are forgiven through His blood. He continues to do that each day for His repentant children. Why don't we?

For sometime I have blogged on the subject of transparency. The theme of the blog has been the negative way we treat our penitent and repentant brothers and sisters who are transparent enough to confess their sins. Soon I hope to continue that blog for I literally have gone from alpha to omega in my pursuit of how we negatively treat one another and inspiration has given me a virtual cornucopia of words that illustrate our negative reactions.

It is almost as if we are keeping score on one another and we have a tally sheet of sins that we record each day on one another. And it is no wonder that the doorways of counselors are clogged with brothers and sisters. We have put some of them there. They are so guilt ridden and we have put barriers up between some of them and the Great Counselor who has the solution to their problems.

Recently I heard a preacher say that there are numbers of fallen pastors who are working in factories instead of preaching because God has taken away their anointing and their calling due to their falleness. I immediately thought of Paul, Peter, David and a number of others heroes of faith. At the same time I thought that to be working in a factory is not so bad. Paul was a tent maker.

We ought to be ashamed of ourselves because the Church does not have programs to recoup, reconcile, and regenerate the fallen. Elitism has no place in the Church of Christ. Where is the love of
Christ in all this.

The antonyms of patience are interesting and in closing I would like to mention a few. Aganaktesis is an antonym of these words we have been looking at that have to do with patience. It means to be "indignant." It has to do with wrath, anger and resentfulness. Orge is another antonym. According to Zodhiates it reflects "outbursts of vengeful mind." Paul encourages us "Love must be sincere..."(Rom. 12:9) And in the same paragraph he says "Do not take revenge, my friends..."(Rom. 12:19) And in Eph. 4:31 he says "Get rid....of wrath." In I Tim. 2:8 he wrote "I want all men everywhere to lift up holy hands without anger and disputing." Thumos has to do with impetuousness, fierceness and anger. Quite the opposite of patience. All of them, wouldn't you say. Thumos is a work of the flesh.

(Gal. 5:20)
Isn't it interesting that we can choose by our own volition and will to express love through patience, longsuffering, tolerance and gentleness or we can by the same expression of will be indignant, fierce, full of wrath, hard, violent, and impetuously angry?

Paul has instructed us all that love is patience and this will bring unity. The others will only divide and separate.

The Excellent Way #4("Ain't No Rock Gonna Take My Place"

2009-03-04T16:45:00.000-08:00

The Son of God, who is love, approached the Mount of Olives, and as He approached, He instructed His disciples to get a colt for Him to ride. "When He came near to the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:" "Blessed is the King who comes in the Name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory to the highest!" "Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, 'Teacher rebuke your disciples!'"(Lk. 19) Why would anyone make that statement? What was wrong with praising the God of love in a loud voice? Who would be so captious? What motivated them?
The typical Pharisees of Jesus day were the types of some present day antitypes. The loving Savior was soon to weep over being rejected by His own people. These Pharisees were more worried about their rules than they were about the salvation of the souls of men. And they truly have their antitypes today.
Jesus understands both the types and antitypes. He depicted the types in Matthew 23. They were the religious orthodox. In their eyes they were perfectly and precisely religious. Peloubet called them "the separated ones." He goes on to say "they bent their energies to a strict keeping of the law, using political means..." "Their excessive strictness led them to formulate more detailed rules..." "Pharisees...multiplied minute precepts and distinctions to such an extent that the whole life of the Israelite was hemmed in and burdened on every side by instructions so numerous and trifling that the law was almost if not wholly lost sight of." Is it a stretch to say their antitypes of today have done the same with grace and love? Peloubet makes a point well taken by this writer: "...they devoted their energies to making converts to their own narrow views, who with all the zeal of proselytes were more exclusive and more bitterly opposed to truth than they were themselves."
The Pharisee of Luke 18 typifies perfectly the religion of the Pharisee. He must have been one of their champions. He was a praying man. Scripture says though that he "...prayed about himself..." "God I thank you that I am not like all other men-robbers, evildoers, adulterers-or even like this tax collector." "I fast twice a week and I give a tenth of my income."(Lk. 18)
Why was he not justified in the eyes of Jesus if all that was correct about him? He violated the first and second commandments of Jesus and the premise of true love found in I Cor. 13. He exalted himself. He was a braggard. He kept records of other men's lives. And love does not do that.
Perhaps the reason these folks did not want Jesus praised outloud was because he had their number. They hated him so much that they ultimately were instrumental in His being crucified. They were right in the middle of giving orders "...that if anyone found out where Jesus was, he should report it so that they might arrest Him."(Jn. 11:57)
Yes, Jesus had the number of those types and He has the number of their antitypes today. Their religion is perfect because everybody else is wrong. They are the truly orthodox. They are the knowledgeable. They can quote Scripture with the best of Scripture quoters. But something is missing. What is it? "The Excellent Way." They cannot truly love as God wants them to love. Their spiritual port-folio is missing the qualification of that which will make one a true follower of God.
Every now and then among the Pharisees as in all perfectly imperfect self-righteous movements bright lights emerge and shine. Acts 5 tells us of Gamaliel, a man of fairness and good judgement in his dealings with his fellow men. Nicodemus of John 3 was also a Pharisee, but one who learned of the New Birth from the Master Teacher. And apparently responded to it. Joseph of Arimathaea "a good man."(Lk. 23:50) He was a secret disciple of Christ.(Jn. 19:38) He along with Nicodemus buried Jesus. Paul was a Pharisee.(Acts 23:6; Phil. 3:5) So not all men are held captive by the strangle hold of such antics as were put forth by the Pharisees. Love still lives in some men's lives. Paul, who was a Pharisee , was to give the solution and he called it "The Excellent Way."
It is possible then to fast, tithe, and keep all the rules yet be missing the key ingredient of Christianity...love...
Jesus had the Pharisees figured. And He told them so. Outwardly they looked good. But they were ugly on the inside.(Lk. 11:39) They were greedy.(Lk. 11:39) They were braggards.(Lk. 18) They were judgemental and self-protective of their flawed concept of what was right.(Mt.9:34) They teamed up on those they considered their antagonists.(Jn. 11:47) Their love was spent on money.(Lk. 16:14) They also loved popularity.(Lk. 11:43) They were hypocrites.(Mt. 23:13) They taught folks a religious philosophy that was not good for them.(Mt. 23:15) They were full of wickedness.(Mt. 23:28) They were violent and murderous.(Mt. 23:30-31) They had an unacceptable form of righteousness.(Mt. 5:20) They practiced a dishonest form of worship.(Mt. 15:8) Their seeming right influence was evil.(Mt. 16:5-6)
This was the stripe of people who met Jesus on the road to the Mount of Olives and told Him to quieten his disciples who were vocally and joyfully praising God loudly. Methinks me hears many of their counterparts saying the same things .
Interesting what Jesus said to them. "I tell you..." "...if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out."(Lk. 19:40)
Recently, I heard a preacher say, "Ain't no rock gonna take my place."
So we praise Him because He loved us so...and nobody will stop us.

The Excellent Way #3

2009-02-23T12:08:00.000-08:00

At the foot of Golgotha you will notice a tour bus that has been completely destroyed. Actually there were two of them with big holes in the tops of them. What a contradictory statement that is. Right at the foot of the place where a loving Savior was crucified and said "Father forgive them..." is evidence of hate and contempt.
That is real. Golgotha was a real place. Hate is real as evidenced by the destruction it causes in the lives of men. Love is just as real as is evidenced by the death of One who died for our sins.
The Corinthian church was real. It was comprised of real people. It was not a figment of Paul's imagination. It was no mystical body without flesh and blood.
Paul wrote to them as real people with real problems, real sins that caused disfellowship, disunity and division among the people of God.
What caused this? The real culprit was a lack of love, the same thing that destroyed those buses. The culprit was not that they were sinners. All men are sinners.(Ro. 3:23) All Christians sin.(I Jn. 1:8,10) Unity can be had among sinful Christians, but unity cannot be had without love. That may seem a little confusing. But that is a fact. Christians sin, but those sins should not separate them from one another, and the reason for that is simple--love.
The paradox of it all is that some are brash enough to set himself or themselves up as models for good human behavior rather than using Jesus as the model. And they compare themselves with one another and therefore think some fall short on the basis of comparison with themselves. Jesus is the model for all that and He is the model for that thing called Love. He is the author and finisher. He is the alpha and omega. He is the great I Am.
The pentitent sinner is a restored, reconciled sinner according to a loving Savior. And after one studies the positives and negatives Paul shows us with respect to love one notes that Jesus is the model of all these good qualities. For example He keeps no records. He forgets as far as the east is from the west. Unloving people keep records and hold grudges. And the converse viewpoint of all the qualities of love is the very thing that causes disunity.
If Jesus looked at men as men look at men then we would all be hopelessly lost. The difference is that Jesus looks at us from a loving heart. Men do not look at men that way in so many places and cases.
The word Paul uses for love in I Cor. 13 is agape. William Barclay describes this love as deliberate love of the will. He calls this love: a product of the Spirit(Gal. 5:22 "But the fruit of the Spirit if love...") an attribute of God(Jn. 3:16); our duty to God(Mt. 22:37 "...Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind."); the mark of the Christian life(I Cor. 16:14 "...Do everything in love..."); the way the church is built up(Eph. 4:16 "From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does it works."
This love is not self-seeking. It seeks the welfare of others.
Paul begins in I Cor. 13 by saying some surprising statements to some then and now. The orthodox and "right" would tend to take Paul to task on this if he were not an apostle. Paul said that if love were absent then activity and display mean nothing. One might speak with tongues of men and angels but the absence of love would tend to cause one to be something like a Mardi Gras noise maker. One might be a great teacher in the eyes of a number of folks and perceive very deep thoughts and be a virtual walking enclopedia of knowledge but in crunch time when it really counts for the welfare of another if love were absent all that means nothing. One might be an eleemosynary giant of a person and become some kind of seeming matyr but if love is absent nothing is gained from that.
Seems to me that I can gain the accolades of a number of people of my ilk, but if love is absent from me and them then we have our reward. I might pray long prayers and give eloquent speeches, do good works of all sorts and look great on the outside, but if a loving heart does not beat within my chest God knows.
I should know. But I may have confused myself with my correctness and greatness to the point that I have completely missed the whole point of love and what it means to love and the results of love. God forbid!
Paul does not leave me in doubt. I can know. For not only does he give the results of a life lived without love, but he defines it. He does not leave me in the dark about this attribute that if it is absent in my spiritual make-up I can be a divider, a spoiler of unity and destructive of concilatory relationships.
We need not wonder if we have this attribute or not. Paul specifically describes it and the Greek language defines it.
The apostle of love made a sobering statement: "...he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?"(I John 4:20)

The Excellent Way #2

2009-02-21T08:14:00.000-08:00

When you boil it all down all churches have sin problems. And God has always provided answers to those problems, even from the beginning. The promise was that the wounded Savior would crush the devil's head. The damning effects of sin were to be erased by the loving God of us all.

The Samaritan woman of John 4 surely realized this. She told the people after her encounter with Jesus "Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?"(Jn. 4:29) What a message of loving hope she had heard in this encounter with the Master! And what a perfect answer to her sin problems. "...whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to everlasting life."(Jn. 4:14) Who would give any hope to a woman like this? She was in trouble. She was sinful. She was dirty. She was about as errant as one could be.

Jesus told her "Go, call your husband and come back."(Jn. 4:16) She said "I have no husband..."(Jn. 4:17) Jesus said "You are right when you say you have no husband." "The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband."(Jn. 4:17-18) Yet Jesus said to her "...a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem."(Jn. 4:21) Then He said "Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth..."(Jn. 4:23)

When one turns to I Cor. 13 and understands Biblical history one knows that Paul was speaking to the true worshippers of God who worshipped in spirit and in truth. Yet they, like that Samaritan woman, continued to need a solution to the problems of sin that remained in their lives and in the lives of their neighbors. And the solution, the theme, the answer "...the excellent way..." continued to be love....It was the theme that ran throughout and continues to run throughout God's dealings with men. It is the reaction of God to our imperfections. He loves us...all of us, even in our sinfulness and wrongness. But wait...what does he expect of us? He expects us to love him in return and love one another.

Paul could not help but give that advise to the Corinthians. He was only reiterating the sentiments of Jesus. Paul was a man filled with the Holy Spirit of God, preaching his heart out to the people of God. Jesus had already told the other apostles and this apostle come lately what was going to happen. "But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on His own; He will speak only what he hears..."(Jn. 16:13) "He will bring glory to Me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you."(Jn. 16:14)

The theme then was an everlasting, eternal, heavenly theme. It was the theme of God's relationship with his people and their expected relationships with one another. It was "the excellent way" the theme of love. If Paul had said any other thing than this then the conclusion would have had to be that the Holy Spirit of God was not with him.

Jesus did not look down his nose at people's weaknesses. He loved them and sought to help them. And that is what he expects of us.

Paul was taught by inspiration the lessons Jesus taught during His ministry. "A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another."(Jn. 13:34) "All men will know that you are my disciples if you love one another."(Jn. 13:35) "This is my command: Love each other."(Jn. 15:17) "...honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as yourself."(Mt. 19:19) "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'" "But I tell you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you."(Mt. 5:43-44) "If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?"(Mt. 5:46) "I have revealed You to them, and will continue to make You known in order that the love You have for Me may be theirs and that I myself may be in them."(Jn. 17:26) "My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you." "No one has greater love than the one who lays down his life for his friends."(Jn. 15:12-13)

When Paul checked into the library of the Holy Spirit he found all the material needed to write about our loving one another. And this was true of all Spirit-filled men of inspiration. John would write "We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers..."(I Jn. 3:14) "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers."(I Jn. 3:16) "Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God."(I Jn. 4:7) Peter would say "Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, with all your hearts.'(I Pet. 1:22) "Show proper respect for everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king."(I Pet. 2:17) "Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble." (I Pet. 3:8)

I have been guilty in the past, perhaps hundreds of times, of using the account at Jacob's well to prove one thing. I was right and everybody else was wrong because I worshipped in "...spirit and truth..." That is I had everything in my life and worship perfectly figured out and my worship was the only correct worship around. I missed the whole point of the context of John 4...There was a poor sinner there who needed and encounter with the Savior. And you know he was so magnanimous in spirit that he did not even leave out that poor sinner of a woman. And there was a time when I would not have accepted her into my "worship" and fellowship. Perhaps I should have read I Cor. 13. rather than looking for a prooftext for my perfection.

The First Corinthian letter reveals a group of people who had many, many faults. Yet Paul said there was a solution, "...the excellent way..."

The punch line is to come. Not only does he talk about it, he describes and defines what love is, and that is where he gets down to the brass tacks of how we must treat one another if we are to follow in the steps of a loving Savior.

The Most Excellent Way

2009-02-19T08:01:00.000-08:00

Recently I was asked by a friend to share some thoughts on I Cor. 13. This is the chapter of love. I could not talk about love without talking about Golgotha "the place of a skull." The golden text says "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life."(Jn. 3:16) Paul said "...I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."(Gal. 2:20) And he said "...because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions-it is by grace you have been saved."(Eph. 2:4-5)
I cannot express to you the feeling I had when I stood and literally looked at the "place of a skull" Golgotha. It is here that true love was epitomized. The definition, the explanation, the true illustration is there. The mutilated and scarred body of the Saviour and the beautiful head bowed in death for our shortcomings and sins was the true expression of love.
I have heard it said that the Corinthian church was the most problematic church of any New Testament church. Of course when we compare ourselves with that church we can absolutely and confidently say "God I thank thee that I am not as other men are..."(Lk. 18:11) Yeah, right!
All churches have problems. They have problems because they are composed of problematic people. What makes a church a true Church is the way problems are handled. Jesus dealt with our problems with love. Paul calls that "...The Most Excellent Way..."(I Cor. 12:3)
Paul addressed Corinth about a number of problems and issues. They had preacheritus.(I Cor. 1:11-12) They sought wisdom and signs before Jesus Christ.(I Cor. 1:22-24) There were divisions among them. (I Cor. 1:10) They quarreled and were jealous of one another.(I Cor. 1:11; I Cor. 3:3) They were immature and worldly.(I Cor. 3:1) There was immorality among them.(I Cor. 5:1) Brothers were going to court with one another and getting the government involved in church affairs and business.(I Cor. 6:1) They violated the Lord's Supper.(I Cor. 11:27) The purposes of marriage were being overlooked and diminished and there was divorce.(I Cor. 7:2; 7:5) They were harsh in their judgements of one another.(I Cor. 8:12) Rather than practicing unity they were dis unified.(I Cor. 14:33) And there was more. What a menagerie of folks with a collection of problems. Yet there was a solution. Paul described to them "...The most excellent way..." And it continues to this day as a solution to mens' problems. Sad that it is not sought as the solution in so many cases.
I will look forward to discussing the characteristics of this solution in the future. For love is more than just a word. It is a way of life. It has character. It is displayed in living. It is the ultimate solution. And it does not happen by accident or chance. It is a thing of the will and it costs something. Hopefully, as we look at the characteristics of love depicted by Paul we will see that.

Father and Son

2009-02-13T22:17:00.000-08:00

My next blog is going to be on love. As we were going through some pictures I found this one of me and my dad. I just wanted to share this with some of you. He was a very fine man and I loved him dearly.

Update on Scott

2009-02-06T12:52:00.000-08:00

Scott came through his surgery just great and is resting at home now. I want to thank all of you that kept him in your prayers, they are greatly appreciated. I did appreciate your emails and comments regarding Scott. I was able to sit with Jennifer during his surgery and we had a good visit, Prayer is a powerful source, we should always covet one anothers prayers. Thank you ever so much from all of us.

Truly Special

2009-02-06T05:31:00.000-08:00

Today Scott is going to have surgery. It is outpatient and therefore not major surgery. He is truly special to me. His smile displays the kind of person he is. He is certainly gentle, kind, and careful about the feelings of others. Scott captures the hearts of those he comes in contact with. Recently I introduced him to a relative of mine he had not seen for years. He did not know her. When he left she made a comment about him that makes him truly special in our day. This older lady said of him "he has such good manners." That is Scott. I love him. That is not hard to do. He loves me. I am so glad. Please pray for his complete recovery. Doctors say he will not be able to do vigorous exercise for 6 to 8 weeks. That will be hard for him to do. Did I mention he is my grandson and I am proud of him. Sorry I forgot...

Postscript to "..thus is the kingdom of God"

2009-01-26T04:41:00.000-08:00

After some contemplation of the last blog I wrote about my grandchildren I would like to add a little more. I cannot explain how I made the connection between my childhood and the childhood of my grandchildren. I do know that I was affected by numerous individuals in my childhood as my grandchildren are and for that matter I suppose all grandchildren of all grandparents.

There have been and are grandparents of all sorts. Some are excellent, some are good, some are average, some of poor, and some are downright devastating to the lives of these "...little ones..." Most good thinking and good intentioned grandparents would not harm their grandchildren in any way. As a matter of fact they would do their best to do them good under all circumstances.

Some grandparents are so selfish they don't care how their grandchildren could be affected. But most do care and when their grandchildren are adversely affected, whether it be something they do, or something out of their control they hurt with their grandchildren.

I think Jesus was speaking of our well meaning and good treatment of the "...little ones..." in Mt. 10:42 when He said..."And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward." Even a small and insignificant attempt to help them is not ignored by the Savior.

On the other hand he said quite a different thing in respect to these "...little ones..." in Mt. 18:10 "Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven." This Greek word for "...despise..." is defined as "...to hold in contempt..." "...to think lightly of..." And there is no doubt that everyone who reads the newspapers and watches the news is aware of the fact that these little ones are in some way or another daily overlooked and mistreated in unimaginable ways.

Jesus said something else about "...little ones... in Mt. 18. "Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me."(Mt. 18:5)

Then on the other hand in Mark 9:42 He says speaking of the "...little ones..." "...whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea."

When I looked at the meaning of this word "...stumble..." I was taken back to my own childhood. The word in this passage is skandalizo. It means to cause to stumble or fall. A word closely akin to it is skandalon. And it is here that I was taken back into my childhood and because of that I understand completely how the "...little ones..." can be maltreated. This word means the trigger of a trap on which bait is placed causing entrapment. We understood the concept completely when we told our children "never take anything from a stranger." And I understand more completely the word when I look back in my childhood...One of the best old men I know was my step-grandfather. He was an old-school kind of fellow. He could cuss a blue streak but a kinder person to children you would never meet. I used to hunt with him. He was quite a hunter. He retired from the Standard Oil Company in Baton Rouge and spent the rest of his life doing what he loved to do, hunting in the Lake Maurepas swamps. I have always been a sportsman and on many occasions I hunted with him. I attempted on occasions to trap birds by putting a stick under a box with a string attached to it and lured the birds into the box by putting bread under the box. He picked up on that and went to the trouble of having me a more complex and sophisticated bird catcher built. Perhaps he built it himself. It was in the shape of the old Mesopotamian ziggurats. It was built with little strips of wood. The complicated thing was the trigger mechanism. There were three sticks of wood. One held the box up. The other two were balanced on that one with slight notches to hold them temporarily together until the bait was taken. The bait was put on the one that extended farthest back into the box. When the bait was taken the box fell on the unsuspecting animal or bird. The bait was put on the trigger or skandalon and the little animal was caught. The animal was enticed and the enticement caused discomfort. Zodhiates by definition tells us that the "...little ones..." can be led to exercise a liberty against his conscience. And this can be done by baiting the unsuspecting "...little one..." Question is...Who would do that? What motive is there for doing that? Is it honorable? Does it take into account the well-being of the "...little ones..."? Or is it self-serving? And who would purposely do that? Is it even possible? Apparently for the Master Teacher says it is.

So what does that have to do with the subject at hand? Simply this. Jesus sets up the possible ways we can affect the lives of others. We can give them a cup of cold water in His name. We can despise them. We can cause them to stumble. We can treat them kindly. We can manipulate them and set up circumstances that will cause them consternation. Which one will we choose?

The Word tells us to "...love..." "...do good..." "...be kindly affectioned..." "..serve..." etc.,etc.,etc.,etc.....I can do that. Will I?

A Circle and A Dream

2009-01-15T15:18:00.000-08:00

DREAMS CAN COME TRUE

I have had dreams during my lifetime,

some have come to reality others I am

still holding out for. Starting a children's

home was one of my dreams and I got

to see that come to be. Regretfully I had

to turn loose of this dream after being

asked to leave because I changed the

direction my personal life. I truly

feel that I sacrificed for over 25

years to provide a

home for disadvantaged children.

I never minded the sacrifices because I

knew that children were benefiting

from the home. The direction I took in

my personal life was to finally be able

to be with the "girl" I have loved for

over 45 years. Due to a few bad choices

I made at the age of 19 my whole

life swerved and went in a direction that

spiraled. I was caught in a whirlwind

of religious politics and I could not

break out. One might ask how that

can happen. I wanted to please

the Lord with all my heart, I wanted

to serve Him in every way and I

thought those that were mentoring

me were doing so in my best interest.

I graduated from a Christian bible

school and then went to college to

get my BA and BS and later my

Masters. After you turn around

for so long it is possible to just go

with the flow, losing your own way

and just following along. Knowing

that your dreams that you had for

yourself, your personal life would

never be. There is no doubt in my

mind that I still want to serve and

please the Lord with all my

heart. That has not changed.

Well, I am here to tell you, my dream,

my love was to be with the woman I

am now with. It took a death, a funeral,

and a chance meeting after 45 years

to bring this to be. But I now know

with all my'heart, this is where I

should have been from the age of 14,

when I first fell in love with my dream.

She has been the circle around my

heart for that long. I dream now of

catching a fish as big as the one in

this picture and I dream of having

another boat like the one in

this picture. I had a great boat and

gave it up so that I could make this

life change. Now I am believing that

I will one day have a boat like this one

and will catch a fish as big as this one.

Don't ever give up on your dreams.

The Man, The Myth, The Legend

2009-01-01T19:32:00.000-08:00

I started to use the title "Undeserved But Appreciated." Certainly that would be more correct. I received this shirt as a present from Bunni, Lajuanah's daughter. Thanks Bunni for your thoughtfulness. I am so glad you have accepted me as your stepfather. I must say that we got quite a laugh when I opened the present. If only I could live up to those words. It occurs to me that I appreciate so much the kindness of Bunni and Jason, Lajuanah's children and the love of Christ that they display in their lives. Isn't it so refreshing to hear positive and uplifting things from true children of God who have the well-being and welfare of others in their hearts. Thank you so much for loving me. By the way, Bunnie also gave the same shirt to her husband Ken, and her brother Jason.

God's Mercies Are New Every Morning

2008-12-31T17:23:00.000-08:00

An Awesome Sunset

An Awesome Cabin In The Mountains

An Awesome Fireplace In The

Cabin In The Mountains

An Awesome Bed In An Awesome Cabin

In the Mountains

An Awesome Recliner In The

Mountains to sit in only

"No Sleeping Allowed"

We have just returned from a wonderful

trip to the Smokey Mountains to spend

Christmas with Bunnie and Ken and
Jason and Kim and their children.
They are so very gracious and kind
to us every time we visit. It was
a fun filled time with the sharing of
gifts, eating great food and
just enjoying each others
company. We spent
our last night with
them in the Smokey Mtns of
Pigeon Forge in a beautiful
cabin (not your typical cabin) that

was at the very top of one of those
mountains. We traveled home on the
back roads going to Maryville

and Lenoir City and saw some of

the most beautiful rivers
and streams and the sky was even

opening up and just blending in

with the scenery. It is nice to be back

but it will surely be a
long time before I forget the

wonderful feeling we had as we

just took in the beauty of the world

around us and the sweet people

that let us be a part of their world

for a small time. Thank you

Bunnie, Ken, Jason and Kim for

a wonderful Christmas.

2008

FAMILY TIES

2008-12-28T16:04:00.000-08:00

This doesn't look like a lot

of people but it is when they all get

in one room, laughing, eating,

opening presents and singing. We

have had a wonderful time here

with Bunnie and Ken and Jason and

Kim celebrating Christmas. They have

been so generous with their home and family

sharing all they have with LaJuana

and I. We even got our flu shot here

in the kitchen again this year. Boy

how special is that! We will be leaving

here tomorrow, stopping in Pigeon Forge to

spend one more night with the family. They have

rented a huge cabin and asked that we

stay one more night. It will be nice

to get back and prepare to move into

our new home but it will surely be

a little sad to leave here. We have had

such a great time and I have caught

up on my reading and relaxing and

ready to really blog again soon.

Pray for us as we begin to

travel again Tuesday. Happy

New Year to all of You.

THE SAME, YESTERDAY, TODAY AND FOREVER

2008-12-25T12:45:00.000-08:00

Jesus is the same, He is no respector

of persons. He loves us all! He died

for us all! I am happy to celebrate

His birthday and acknowledge

what He did for me, a sinner. It

is my prayer that everyone will

come to know Jesus as their personal

Lord and Savior.

THIS OLE HOUSE!

2008-12-20T18:50:00.000-08:00

After some weeks of looking for another place to live because we had outgrown our little apartment, Lajuana and I have finally found the place. Above is a picture of it. We purposely looked for something that had a nice size yard but we did not want anything very big. We did not want another apartment. We simply wanted a small, unassuming house that we could be comfortable in. We think this is it. The little apartment was nice and we thanked God for it. But now we are thanking him for more space and a quiet neighborhood.

We are visiting in Tennessee and will be back in Louisiana around the first of the year. We plan to start packing and moving our few things then.

We feel blessed indeed. We have family and friends in Tennessee and Louisiana who care about and love us and soon, God willing, we will be comfortable in a quaint, little ole house that we will make home for awhile.

What we need the most God has already given us through the Lord Jesus Christ. God is a God of peace and He has given us His peace. We are blessed with His forgiveness. We have been reconciled to Him. We are sanctified by His Spirit. The redemption of our souls was purchased by His Son. We hope to seek His kingdom first. And if we do that then all the things we need, including little ole houses, will be given us. So we give Him honor and we trust Him and we know that everything is going to be all right.

Talk About "The Shack"

2008-12-14T05:16:00.000-08:00

The picture above is one taken during our visit to Israel. I think it is probably one of the most important to me. The raised building serves two purposes: It is built over the Apostle Peter's house in the old city of Galilee, Capernaum, and it is used to look down into the various rooms of Peter's house.

I often think of this house. So many things went on within it's walls. The scriptures tell us Jesus had no house, not even a shack. But scripture tells us that He used Peter's house in the city of Capernaum. (Matthew 8:14) Our guide informed us that there is evidence that one of the rooms in Peter's house was Jesus' room. That may be the case. One thing we do know is that Capernaum became Jesus' headquarters in that area for His ministry. And we do know that He was in Peter's house on more than one occasion. Just think about all the conversations that must have gone on in that house. If only those walls could speak.

Even though He had no permanent dwelling place and had to share someone else's house, He loves us so much that He offers us mansions. "In my Father's house are many mansions..." And He has gone to "...prepare a place..." for us His people.(John 14:2) And in doing so He leaves us the message "...Let not your heart be troubled..."(John 14:1) What is the point? To me that is the point of The Shack. It could not have been written had Jesus not come and lived a a borrowed house in a little out of the way place in Israel. It could not have happened had He not been born in a stable. It could not have happened had he not been raised in a small town in the hills of Israel of not more than perhaps 150 people. But The Shack was written I believe from a heart that was touched by the love and concern of a loving God and Saviour who were revealed to us by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

Millions of people have lived and died since the Saviour was on this earth to give Himself for their sins. (John 3:16) For sure, we cannot all agree on every specific detail of religions and churches. But one thing we can agree on and during this season it becomes so vividly clear. And that one thing is that God cares about us. God dwells in us through His Holy Spirit. God loves us. God comforts us in our sorrows. God holds us up when we would quake and tremble and fall under the pressures of life. When it seems we cannot go another step because our sorrow weignts us down to the point that we would give up, God is there with outstretched hand and even there with us in that horrible pit ,that miry clay

lifting us up.

The Shack does leave a lot to the imagination. But the message is a great one. The God-head is involved with the people of God. And no matter the consternation we may feel about the trials and problems of life ,God is with His people whoever they are and wherever they are. He is not limited by our thought processes. He is not bogged down in our prejudices and beliefs. He does not have his favorites as we do. He does not have an agenda that prohibits Him from seeing the needs of people. He cares about us. He cares about our daily problems. He cares about our welfare. He has been there has He not. He is the Incarnate Saviour who came here to experience first hand all of that and He is qualified for the task. My advice to me and I think the advice of The Shack is to let him do it. Depend on Him. Trust Him. That is what He wants.

And no matter how dark and dismal things may seem to be here ultimately everything is going to be okay because He does care for us.

Baby It's Cold Outside

2008-12-13T11:25:00.000-08:00

CAJUN SNOW

It was beautiful ..............So much snow falling so fast is just breath taking. It just has to make one think how awesome our God is. Snow is the only thing that can take a complete city, paint it white and make everything clean and sparkling. We were able to just walk around in it, take pictures and enjoy the fresh smell of clean white snow. After a few hours of this wonderful bliss reality kicked in. The electricity had been off for a few hours, the apartment was getting a little chilly and there was no where to make a pot of coffee. We had not had breakfast nor had we had our shower and gotten dressed, that includes blow drying the hair.

So you ask was the beauty of the snow worth the inconveniences we had to deal with after the storm. I would have to say yes, yes indeed!. There is a time and place for everything as we are told and Thursday morning early was the time for the most beautiful snowfall South Louisiana has seen in over 80 years. Pictures were taken to help us remember this awesome day. And I can't think of a better place for God to have let it happen. All the kids and adults had a ball playing and throwing snowballs and building snowmen, or just enjoying from a frosted window from inside.

We only had to do without electricity for 24 hours while others are still without. So I am just so thankful for the beautiful picture God painted for us Thursday morning and will remember it for years to come. LaJuana and I have truly enjoyed our first snowfall together.

TRANSPARENCY #5

2008-12-02T10:31:00.000-08:00

SEA OF GALILEE
As I write this it is the day after Thanksgiving. Yesterday families and friends gathered together to eat a meal and to share fellowship. On the same day, however, on the other side of the oceans, in old Bombay, there was injury and death at the hands of terrorists whose aim was to inconvenience, disrupt and destroy the lives of others. Those terrorist espouse a cause they truly believe in and hurting and killing and dying is simply a way of life to them in the name of their religion.

The pleas of the victims, whether little innocent children or adults , are ignored and go unnoticed as they work their evil in the lives of their victims. No consideration is given to the possible good hearts, honesty, integrity or benevolent nature or loving motivations of their victims. The terrorists consider themselves religiously correct in their harsh dealings of their fellowman and whoever does not line up with them is wrong and worthy of hurt.

Isn't it saddening that they have their counterparts in the religious world at large today. These zealous religious activists have no qualms about destroying and discomfiting the lives of others and they do it all in the name of religion. It unfortunately happens every day among "civilized" and "church" going people who have attached themselves in some fashion to the name of the One and only true God, Jesus Christ the Righteous.

It is quite a paradox that in His name they work dastardly deeds in such despicable ways. Terrorists defend themselves in their maltreatment of others and find justification in their acts from the philosophical bases of their beliefs. The difference between the two types of terrorists is that one is based in a system of hate and despite and the other has no basis. They both have saviours. One is consistent with the life-style and belief system of its saviour. The other is inconsistent with the life-style and belief system of its Saviour. For the Saviour they supposedly follow is a peaceful, nonviolent, compassionate, merciful Saviour who has told His followers to put up their swords, and would not endorse the maltreatment of "...one of the least of these..."

I suppose there are many motives in writings and many reasons to write. I hope my motive is and always will be to discern and know truth. If truth is irrelevant to our lives and we behave simply on the basis of our feelings and prejudices then my writing has no purpose. If truth really does matter and really does set me free from my sins then I should know it and follow it. And I should strive for truth and true freedom in Him.

What is the truth about transparency and should the transparent suffer at the hands of religious terrorists?

To this point we have looked at tranparency from several viewpoints. We have learned that Christians should be free to be transparent with God and one another. James said "Confess your trespasses to one another..."(James 5:16) John said "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."(I John 1:9) Jesus told the story of the Pharisee and the publican. "...the tax collector...would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven...saying, God, be merciful to me a sinner..." "And Jesus said, '...this man went down to his house justified..'"(Luke 18:13-14) God's reaction to transparency of His children should be the same reaction of His children to His other children. "And be ye kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you."(Ephesians 4:32)

Experience, sometimes very hard experience, proves that the above attitude is not always prevalent among God's children. There are some who do not emulate the reaction of Christ to the transparency of His people.

Recently, I have gone through the Greek alphabet and studied some of the possible negative reactions some have toward others. And I was amazed at the numbers of Greek words that by definition describe just how negative one can be toward another. The detailed and explicit description of possible negative thoughts and actions toward others is evidence of just how much truth wants to display how wrong negative reactions toward others are.

Jesus summed up the positive way we are supposed to interface the lives of others. His blessed life was a depiction of the very truth He taught His disciples about their relations with others. He said.."...thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself..."(Matthew 22:39) And His chosen man to the Gentiles described the nature of that love in I Corinthians 13. "Church" terrorists should read what Jesus and Paul said, digest it, and live it. No doubt the positive would negate the negative. But so often that is not the case, despite what Jesus taught. And that is to the detriment of the imperfect transparent Christian who is willing to tell the truth.

There was a time when I thought that to speak of positive Christian relationships was to weaken doctrine and ecclesiology because to do so one had to give up a certain amount of doctrine and church orthodoxy. I have changed my mind. True doctrine and ecclesiology strengthen and enhance relationships.

And where terrorism exists in a church true doctrine and ecclesiology is not present.

Therefore, it is a sad note that so many use doctrine and ecclesiology as an excuse and smoke screen to discourage relationships with transparent Christians. There is no support anywhere in the Bible for cutting off relationships with a transparent brother. As a matter of fact if Jesus' dealings with the Pharisees of His day were seriously considered one would discover that He shamed the Pharisees for exactly that kind of behavior.

God's community is meant to be an inclusive, together community. Those who negatively affect their brother cannot practice that. They are more barrier oriented than together oriented. Barriers are convenient to negativism. Some prefer it that way. So fences are built and boxes are made and people are put across the fences and inside the boxes. For some, it is easier to pick out the "good" when this is done. This is an identification process to them. Their take on things is that there are always those who are worse than we are and there are always those who are more hardened sinners than we. So we don't have to deal with them. They are not worthy. And if one is transparent these folks look at that as being an excuse or manufactured humility, or a facade to hide bad behavior. Paul had a word for folks like that. "...wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things." Romans 2:1)

The Scriptures encourage those folks to tear down the fences and let people out of their little boxes. Note the following..."...we should live together with Him..."(I Thessalonians 5:10) "...members should have the same care for one another..."(I Corinthians 12:25) "...the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other."(II Thessalonians 1:3) "...in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself."(Philippians 2:3) "...having compassion one of another love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous."(I Peter 3:8) "be merciful just as your Father also is merciful."(Luke 6:36) "...how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" "Jesus said unto him, 'I do not say to you up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven."(Matthew 18:21-22)

The above admonitions for togetherness are impossible in some circles. For you cannot have that when your attitude is to judge, condemn and refuse your brother's transparency and openness about his imperfections.

Some years ago I was preaching in a church in Texas. A brother came to openly confess his sins and ask for the prayers of the church. Before everyone left the building I heard another brother say "I don't care how many times he confesses, I will never forgive him." And so it goes....

Transparency is not easy, but in God's community of believers it should be honored. I am aware of an individual who served Christ for decades, was responsible for hundreds being brought to Christ, and worked with the underprivileged for over 30 years. I know him well. His transparency was used against him. Problem is he was no dummy. He knew about the forgiveness of the prodigal; the joy of the adulterous woman's freedom from her sins; the release of Peter from his waywardness to become a servant and martyr for Christ; the injustice of righteous Stephen's accusers; the washing away by Christ's blood of the sins of murder and persecution by Paul; the tearful confessions and removal of the sins of David with Bathsheba and against Uriah; and the justification of the transparent publican; and much more. He knew that the only unforgiveable sin was blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.

O yes, he was ostracized, shunned, condemned, but His faith was in Christ and not in a handful of religious terrorists. O yes, they attempted to strip him of his honor. They attempted to ruin him spiritually, physically, financially, domestically but God is the Great Provider not them. He will still be working his loving and benevolent ways when they are gone to eternity. Jesus wept because He tried to save Jerusalem and they would not listen. Ironically these religious terrorists suffer sorrow when a sinner does realize his dependenc on the Saviour and makes an effort to go to Him.

Another thing that individual was perceptive enough to understand was the blatant, open, obvious inconsistency of these terrorists. Their inconsistency was so ridiculous that it borders on the hilarious. And to my knowledge their inconsistencies continue to this day. Remember I know this oppressed man and I know his accusers. He was by no means perfect. But of course neither are they. The old saying about skeletons in the closets applies to every one of them. And they know those skeletons are there. But they have cut out the light, slammed the door of the closet shut and locked it, because they are afraid the light will shine through and shine on those old bones. Odd that they would condemn the transparency of that honest man. How inconsistent can you get.

I have no desire to elucidate on the bones in their closets. I could. I won't. Some of the bones are dust by now I am sure. But they are still there. But oh, if they could speak. The brashness! The tendency to judge! The perfection! The greatness! Where would they all go?

Religious persecution comes in big and little packages. History tells us that. How many book burnings have happened. How many Servetuses have there been. People burned at the stake because of their failure to comply. One thing about history, and one thing about this writing and others like it is that they will provide a record for future generations..And history and time and eternity will bring to light the real truth. When all the bones in all the closets have gone the truth will prevail. That is the reason that this man I am talking about here does not despair because of these religious tyrants. Because one day the truth will be known.

But wait! Are we talking only about inconsistency? Perhaps there might be some politics and favoritism here. Of course the Bible says "...God is no respecter of persons..."(Acts 10:34) Favoritism will cause a brain to malfunction and in some cases premature Alzheimer's will result. Some are so forgetful of their sins and the ones closest to them. That brother who bore the wrath of those closet slammers, who was completely transparent, was completly baffled and befuddled at their reactions. One of the so-called leaders got on the internet and broadcast that that transparent brother was "fallen." Yet, absolutely categorically that individual was guilty of the same exact "sin" he assumed the transparent brother was guilty of committing. (duh) And that is a known fact. And the astounding thing is how that individual could possibly be a part of a accusing group who could accuse who could maltreat a brother in a way they were not willing to maltreat him. Another of that group told the transparent brother he was not judging him. Then he had the audacity to say "I am not judging you." And followed that up by saying "You know the Bible as well as I do." That transparent brother knew the Bible did not condemn transparency. And he also knew that the man had just made contradictory statements. And the man proved it by soon getting on the phone and heralding all over the nation his recently acquired information. And of course, the transparent brother wondered why they did not do that about others in their fellowship and in their families and hand that phone to some of those skeletons. Another one of them cried when he heard that brother's transparent story. Then he went out and spread the news that the brother was worldly. How easy it is to transfer all that worldliness to others. Be careful, that skeleton is trying to open that door!

I don't have time or space to write all the things that have happened to that brother because of the tactics of a few. It continues to this day. There is no doubt that transparency suffered here. But ultimately it will win. Because transparency frees you. And this man I have been telling you about is indeed by the Amazing Grace of God free from all that. It is really too bad that uncaring judges have such very short memories of their own imperfections and fall short of a complete understanding of God's perfect will. There is so much there for them. And it is my prayer that they will find it. And they too will be free.

One Biblical concept and principle that addresses our brave and truthful, transparent brother who came to grips with his life and his shortcomings and confessed his wrongs to the chagrin of the "perfect" is repentance. To the religious terrorist repentance is a fuzzy concept with very little meaning apparently. But to God it is the crowning thought of a forgiven man. And it, despite the attitude of the chosen few is for all. "It is not that the Lord is slow in fulfilling His promise, as some suppose, but that He is very patient with you, because it is not His will for any to be lost, but for all to come to repentance." (II Peter 3:9)

There are those who need no repentance it seems. Transparency is to them a weakness. Confession is an opportunity for condemnation. Repentance is impossible. I thank God that all fellowships are not like that. There are fellowships who admit the weaknesses of men. Sin is real. We all commit it. The answer is not dependence on men for the solution to our problems. Jesus loves us and always will. He honors our transparency. He understands our plight. Not only did He know of it, He became sin for us. While we were yet sinners He died for us. He says "Come." Not "Leave."

Wouldn't it be wonderful if all men had the same attitude as heaven with respect to the souls of men? "For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them..."(Luke 9:56) "I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance."(Luke 15:7) "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."(John 10:10)

Thanksgiving Is More Than One Day

2008-11-28T16:51:00.000-08:00

SNOWING

A Reminder !

We were on our way back to Louisiana after a wonderful trip to Tennessee visiting with Bunnie, Ken, Jason,Kim and all the grandchildren when LaJuana looked out and saw this perfectly shaped cross formed from the clouds and lying down in the horizon. I felt it was as if God was gently saying "Good Night" with a sweet reminder of His great gift to us. It certainly made an impression on us both.

We had a great surprise around 11 PM one night when Bunnie hollered for us to come downstairs. When we got there it was snowing ! What an awesome sight that was. It had been quite some time since I had seen the beautiful white, cold snowflakes. I couldn't help but remember God's Word in Job 38:22 and all throughout this chapter. God tells us HE

creates all these things. I know God is EVERYTHING, THE GREAT "I AM".

So as we get through this great holiday weekend let us be forever reminded of the greatest gift of ALL. JESUS CHRIST, OUR LORD AND SAVIOUR. Certainly reason to be very thankful in all things. Just because HE IS.

Transparency # 4

2008-11-03T06:42:00.000-08:00

Thanks for continuing with me on this most important subject of Transparency. The third point on the subject is since all things will definitely and ultimately be transparent, and since scripture encourages us to be transparent, Christians everywhere should feel free to be transparent with God, and with one another. This transparency should be evident without fear and dread of reprisal and retaliation in every Christian community. The fact that retaliation does occur should not hinder one from transparency, for it is a God-given right and God even expects transparency in the Christian community. The one passage that stands out to me is Eph. 4:32. It says "And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you." In light of this passage no Christian should feel hesitant to be transparent with another Christian.
Example after example is given in Scripture about God's willingness to honor and recognize the transparency of any individual.
Mt. 18:15-17 holds the key to Christians being able to talk one on one and in groups about problems. "...if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone."(Mt. 18:15)
In Lk. 18:9-14 the Pharisee had a different viewpoint of the transparent publican than Jesus. Often this is the case for various reasons. Perhaps the shortcomings of the publican in the opinion of the Pharisee were much more significant because of the Pharisee's heightened idea of his own self-importance and perfection. The publican simply said "...God be merciful to me a sinner."(Lk. 18:13) And for some reason Jesus said of the publican that he was justified and the Pharisee was not. Was it the complete transparency of the publican about himself?
The thief of Lk. 23 was on a cross next to the Savior. The thief said to the other thief "...we receive the due rewards of our deeds..."(Lk. 23:41) And he said simply to Jesus "...remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom."(Lk. 23:42) Jesus took that man into paradise with Him that day. Why? The man was bound remember and nailed to a cross. He could not get down from that cross and go and undo or redo his life. He was simply a transparent individual with Jesus. And His reward was paradise. Wouldn't it be great if our transparency with our friends reaped similar attention.
The prodigal of Lk. 15 said to his father "...Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight..."(Lk. 15:21) The Father said "...this my son is alive again; he was lost and is found."(Lk. 15:24)
Indeed all live people are in need of the above kind of transparency. Ro. 3:23 says we are for it says..."for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" I Jn. 1:8 says "...if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." And I Jn. 1:9 alludes to the acceptance of God when we are transparent about our sins. It says..."If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Thank you Jesus.
Yet more on transparency later...

Transparency #3

2008-10-30T08:19:00.000-07:00

Some months ago, after having been transparent with Jesus in my youth, and many times through the years as I grew into young manhood, middle manhood and older manhood I dared be transparent with a select few church leaders and friends. My transparency was about a personal dilemma I had endured in my life for years.
I gave up machoism and was completely transparent. And I think the reactions of some of those with whom I was transparent might well be the reason true transparency is such an uncommon commodity among church people today.
A paradox that befuddles me to this day is that among those church leaders I confided in and privileged to work closely with as a fellow church leader, was a man who in church meeting after church meeting said.."Let's be transparent." So I was. What were the results of my honesty with church leaders and some friends? I will eventually give you the outcomes. But first let's establish some absolute and scriptural truths with respect to transparency.
In the first place the Bible teaches that eventually and ultimately everything will be transparent. Transparency will shine through the mist of every attempt to conceal truth.
"...there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light."(Mk. 4:22)
"...there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account."(Heb. 4:13)
"Some men's sins are clearly evident, preceding them to judgment, but those of some men follow later."(I Tim. 5:24)
"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ,...(II Cor. 5:10)
"All the nations will be gathered before Him,..."(Mt. 25:32)
So it is that everything will be transparent.
In the second place, since this is true, God has given each person the right to be open, transparent, and honest about himself or herself with the hope of reconciliations, redemption, salvation, forgiveness, sanctification and every other blessing that is "..in Christ Jesus."
"For I will declare my iniquity; I will be in anguish over my sin."(Ps. 38:18)
"Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins."(Mt. 3:5-6)
"Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much."(Ja. 5:16)
"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."(I Jn. 1:9)
Fact is transparency is a Bible subject. Ultimately all will be transparent. At present God gives all His children the right to transparency.
More on the subject in the next blog.

TRANSPARENCY #2

2008-10-27T10:47:00.000-07:00

David and Jonathan were such true friends. They were soul-mates. They understood one another and accepted one another.
It is said of Jonathan "...the soul of Jonathan was knit to David and Jonathan loved him as his own soul."(I Sam. 18:1)
A friend of mine who lives in Wiggins, Ms. recently read one of my blogs I had written about my deceased friend Sonny Sziszak. In writing I had referred to our friendship as being something like David's friendship with Jonathan as revealed in I Sam. 18:1. My friend from Wiggins pointed me to what David said about Jonathan when Jonathan died in battle with the Philistines. David said "I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; You have been very pleasant to me..."(II Sam. 1:26)

-
Who can find a better example of real transparency than that of David and Jonathan?
Transparency is defined as "allowing light to pass through" "easily understood" "frank".
And what a popular word it is in various circles today. This became so very evident to me recently when I heard a political candidate say "Let's be transparent." And I thought, "what" "why"? Just look at the way they depict one another now without so much transparency. Think how bad it would get if they were truly transparent.

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There was a time in our culture when transparency of any sort was a no, no. It was considered weakness. The strong, silent type was glamorized. Men were to keep things to themselves. Most everyone was reared in that setting. Don't talk about mistakes, doubts, or shortcomings. Express your self-confidence, independence, dependability, strength at all costs. Don't be a puddin. Suck it up we were told. And anyway everybody has problems so no one is interested in yours.
I seem to remember that Paul said that when he was weak then he was strong. He was not at all hesitant about revealing his shortcomings over and over again. He even informed us that our individual works were worth nothing. He told us that pride goes before the fall and if we think we are something we need to be careful. But I am getting ahead of myself.

-
Indeed transparency is a scriptural concept. There will be a time when at a moment everything will come into the light, even those things which are done in private behind closed doors.
So, knowing this, one day in a little church building I decided to be transparent. I became very transparent with Jesus. And He said, son, come into my kingdom. You are forgiven. And He told me that he had come to save and not to condemn. Praise His blessed Name....
More on transparency in the next blog.......

Transparency #1

2008-10-21T15:27:00.000-07:00

The light shines out of darkness

The result of

True Transparency

Last evening I was confronted with the reality of the most transparent person ever to be. I viewed for the first time "The Passion of the Christ."

Jesus said that He was "...the light of the world..."(Jn. 8:12) Peter told God's children that the were "...called out of darkness into His marvellous light."(I Pet. 2:9)

The cost of that blessing was so vividly depicted to me last night. I could not help but think of our recent trip to Jerusalem. We were taken to the Praetorium, a place with a stone wall and block floors, and we were told that this was the place where Jesus was scourged. So the Romans soldiers, we were told, beat Him beyond recognition, put a cross on his mutilated shoulders, and led Him out and crucified Him. The movie depicted a horribly lacerated Savior, but I am sure the producers could not imagine what actually happened to him that day in that bleak hour of His earthly existence.

Why did He do that I have often thought. He didn't have to. I will never understand completely why He suffered like that for such a worm as I. God really is love. And yes even God Himself must have suffered loss as the hands of that uncaring mass of people who killed His Son.

Why did they do what they did? I am convinced that it was because He told the truth. He was open and completely transparent. He was not a sinner as we are. But he dared to level with them and tell the truth about them and they crucifed Him.

Should we be transparent and what will be our treatment? That will be something we will look at for a while. I think it will surprise us the options that others have with respect to our lives and we theirs as we study the scriptures.

Fall Break

2008-10-11T16:16:00.000-07:00

Thought I would share a few pictures

that we took this afternoon. I seem to

be taking longer to get my next blog

ready for print and I didn't want any

of you to think I was getting lazy. Every

once in awhile I just have to get out close to

the water, smell it, touch it, feel the breeze

on my face. If I could I would be fishing just

about every day. I really miss my boat

but I am praying God is going to provide

another one in the future. Today was a

very relaxing, enjoyable day just being

out in God's beautiful world and

taking in all His beauty He has

provided.

Sunrise - Sunset

2008-10-06T08:59:00.000-07:00

SUNSET
SUNRISE

Seems as though LaJuana and I do a lot of traveling for some
reason. We enjoy riding around this part of Louisiana
and seeing the beautiful scenery. Even though LaJuana
was born and raised in Baton Rouge she has been gone
for a very long time. She is taking in all this beauty she
sees and taking as many pictures as she can. The Live Oaks
are about the most awesome thing she has found. As I looked
at this particular sunrise and sunset I was so reminded of how
short life is and how fast it goes by. If you take your eyes off a
sunset for more than a few seconds you will have missed it's
most beautiful moment, never to be seen again. That
particular sunset is gone forever.
Each day is the same. God gives us a fresh new day
every 24 hours and gives us a choice on how to spend that
day. I am certain I have wasted many days just doing
unmeaningful things as I am sure we all do. It is our
goal to try not to let another day go by without making
the most of it. Every breath we take, every word we speak,
every sunset we see is a blessing from God. I hope all
of you that read this will be encouraged to start making
the most of the time we have left by thanking our
Lord Jesus Christ for every blessing and asking HIM
to show us how we may be a blessing to others.

MY FRIEND SONNY

2008-10-01T13:53:00.000-07:00

This is a tribute to my dear friend

Sonny Sziszak

Sonny passed away this morning October 1

at 1:30 AM.

This morning at 4AM I got a saddening phone call. My true friend Sonny Sziszak had died during the night.

Two words in the Greek scripture can be translated friend. Hetairos means "one who is a friend to project his own interest." The other word, philos, means "a true friend who seeks another's good."

One then can be a "friend" to another for selfish reasons. Or one can be a friend full of generosity and good intentions toward another. This is true friendship.

Most people have had both kinds of friends. Sad that in a life time only a very few friends can be classified as philos. Today I lost a true friend and I will never forget him.

It was said of Jonathan, David's friend, "...the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David and Jonathan loved him as his own soul."(I Sam 18:1)

It was my privilege to have a friend like that for over 20 years. Our friendship developed and became stronger over time. We began as fishing partners. We have never had an argument. Our relationship was positive and mutually helpful.

As the years rolled by our fishing opportunities became less and less because of his failing health and my developing circumstances. Our friendship lasted beyond the sport.

His health worsened and his heart could not endure the medicines he had to have to preserve his other organs. Last night he died. I will miss him for he was my philos.

I love you Sonny, Wayne

I Am Thinking

2008-09-26T17:28:00.000-07:00

Tyler, Tanner and Scott with their dad, B.J.

See the love in their eyes!

AS A MAN THINKETH IN HIS HEART

SO IS HE......

I wanted to share these pictures

of the boys that were

taken at Tyler's football

game today. They

surely are a good looking bunch of boys.

I AM IN THE PROCESS OF THINKING ABOUT

MY NEXT BLOG ON THE TOPIC

TRANSPARENCY.!

BEAR WITH ME PLEASE.

THIS WORD IS USED IN MANY CIRCLES

TODAY. I WILL TRY TO LOOK AT IT FROM

A SPIRITUAL VIEW POINT AND IT'S RESULTS

IN OUR LIVES. I APPRECIATE THE NEW READERS THAT

ARE BEING SENT MY WAY AND THE ENCOURAGING

COMMENTS.

Love These Girls

2008-09-23T18:34:00.000-07:00

This is Amy, my youngest daughter. It isn't a really good clear picture but I don't have many of her. Isn't she just pretty? Amy is married to Shane and has two daughters, Andie and Reagen.

This is sweet Jennifer and her precious daughter Rylea. Of course you all knew that didn't you? ha ha They are beautiful. Jen is married to Blake. She has three sons, Scott, Tyler and Tanner and one daughter, Rylea.

This is Laura my oldest daughter. They always give me a big hug before they leave. Laura is married to Brad and has three children, Chelsea, Gabe and Chloe.

Just thought I would take a few minutes to tell my girls how much I truly love them. I don't have many pictures of them to share with you but I think this one may give you an idea of how special these girls are to me. I know they are all grown up with families of their own now and lots of busy STUFF going on in their lives. I thank God for blessing me with three beautiful girls and I am happy just knowing that they are all doing well.

Moments With Rylea

2008-09-21T18:03:00.000-07:00

Every Day Is A Gift From God

2008-09-18T18:09:00.000-07:00

Every day is indeed a gift from God.

This was a very special day indeed. Jen and Laura came with precious little Rylea to visit us. These girls will never know how blessed we were for them to come. They are all so very sweet and I do love them so. I had so much fun playing with Rylea. I look forward to all the ballgames this year so I can see all the children playing their special sport. Gabe, Chloe, Andie, Reagen,Scott, Tyler and Tanner. My goodness I have been so blessed. Chelsea doesn't play sports anymore but I am so thankful for the memories I have of all her ballgames. Every day I am reminded of how precious a day is and how fast time goes by. We have promised not to waste one day. We look forward to each day with anticipation and are thankful for every gift God gives us. Life itself is the biggy, after I am certain I have waken to a new day breathing and walking and seeing and talking, I prepare to have a great day walking with the Lord and all His blessings.

This is a very special hat and we all had to try it on. I do believe little Rylea was the cutest with Laura running a close second.

Jennifer and I had a chance to catch up on some news about the boys and what was going on in their lives. Jen has her hands full with 3 boys and a wee little one and does a wonderful job.

The Pundits Of The Day Or Real Preachers?

2008-09-08T14:17:00.000-07:00

The Dead SeaIt Receives but does not give!

A pundit, according to definition, is an expert, an authority, a learned person. These days we get a little tired sometimes of hearing from them. Their prognostications, predictions, postulating sometimes get a little old. They often confuse us because their so-called expert opinions oppose one another. One pundit says one thing and the other says quite the opposite.

But amazingly enough, all over the world little crowds and big crowds gather around self-proclaimed pundits. This often happens in politics, science, economics, world views and unfortunately there are religious pundits. Sadly enough they all claim the same Book and the same Spirit. And everybody wonders which pundit is right.

Roe v Wade was an explicit example of this. The religious pundits just could not agree on some of the key issues. They could not completely line up with one another.

In the early 80s I took a course in "Social Research." One of the requirements was to do a research model. I chose to do research on the differing opinions, if there were any, between African American preachers and Caucasian preachers on the subject of abortion. There were some differences of opinions among the religious pundits. And some were very vociferous with their opinions. My research showed me that that is exactly one of the reasons that the Court ruled the way it did in that case. There was no consistent agreement between the experts and the learned ones in the religious field.

This was indelibly imprinted on my mind just a few years ago. I was 64 years old and had been preaching for 40 years. I mentioned abortion in a sermon and the terrible cost it had tallied on our world. After the lesson I was hustled into an office by an older preacher who unloaded on me about putting politics in the pulpit. Of course, in doing this, he gave away his affiliation. To me it was not a political issue but a moral issue. Near the end of the discussion he expressed an opinion which probably had great sway with the court in 1973. He said that he did not believe that a fetus was a human being until it was born. Case in Point.

To me the only positive thing about the whole subject is that little babies who are destroyed in that process are spared the extremism of such pundits.

Men and women who realize they are sinners sadly live in the presence and under the influence of this confusion and live lives imprisoned spiritually by such "authorities." They, all too often hear replays of "Sinners In The Hands Of An Angry God" or some such. And they are told "god hates all sinners" by such experts. Gloom and doom is their weekly message.

How refreshing it is when preachers are not like those kinds of pundits, but they are soul conscious, people loving, leaders of the flock. How encouraging it is when preachers stand in pulpits and teach about God's forgiveness, God's grace, God's longsuffering, God's kindness, God's love, God's compassion instead of reaching out with some all-knowing long arm of legalism that requires a perfection that no human being can perform.

Most men already know they are wretched sinners. They already know that God will judge their lives. They don't need to know how much we know but how much we care. They need to know Jesus died for them individually and wants to save them individually, no matter what they have done. They need release from guilt and depression and feelings of lostness.

For the past two weeks I have been studying the books of First and Second Samuel. David was declared to be a man after God's own heart. One thousand years later the apostle Paul reiterated the same thoughts about David in Acts 13:22. Was David perfect? Was he a sinner? Did he make mistakes? People need to have hope. Preachers need to give it to them. I challenge you to read the story of David's life carefully, each detail, and then continue to be calloused, judgemental, hard and deceitful in dealing with other sinners.

Did David know he was blessed and forgiven despite his weaknesses? Are pundits sinners? Do they seek to be saved from their sins? Perfection can be claimed but that in itself is dangerous according to scripture. If pundits have the right of blessedness then why not allow that to other sinners?

All of us need to be careful, especially those I call religious pundits. Some folks are simply , as the song goes, looking to Calvary to view the cross where Jesus died for them. For they know that grace caught their falling souls. Jesus saw their need. Man's empty and failing philosophies and opinions will not save one soul. Most people, millions of them are looking beyond that.

There is a world full of people looking up to Jesus. Show them His perfect love.

There are good preachers everywhere. Not just pundits who know it all, but intelligent, caring men who struggle to help pentitent sinners find meaning in life. These preachers have no religious agenda. They have no attachment to systems that would get in the way of Christ. They just care. No, they don't gloss over sin. But neither do they present a gospel of condemnation where there is no escape from sin and its consequences. They still believe Jesus came to save and not to condemn.

Yesterday I heard one of these preachers. And coincidentally he preached the very thing I had been studying for two weeks. He preached about David. For a long time I had thought that too many preachers were very interesting in house-keeping in their churches. And lest they give the wrong impression to their flocks or seem to be condoning certain behaviors or giving credence to them there were certain subjects that seemed to tighten their throats to the point of silence. This preacher was not one of those. He did not mind going to some of the more graphic and explicit writings of Solomon and reading them with reference to describing the husband-wife relationship. And it amazed me when he said that if his congregation was like most other American congregations then about 50 per-cent of the couples in the congregation had been divorced. So unlike many pundits. And he told divorced and remarried folks they had a right to begin again. He told them that God expects that of them. Don't quit.

Praise God. What a preacher. It is not too late. A 66 year old can have a place in God's kingdom. God does still love us. He still sees our worth. He still has a plan for us. We can still serve Him. I sobbed. I could not help it. I am sure others did. There was a building full of "amens."

Of course a truthful wise man; one who is a student of God's word cannot preach anything but that if he preaches a lesson on David. One might tend to ignore or hedge some of the issues in David's life. But thank God this preacher got to the truth and told it like it was. Therefore, he gave hope to the disconsolate. He give direction to the misdirected. He gave courage to the

discouraged. He helped all of us see the true nature of our Creator. He will lift us up out of the miry clay. When we go through the valley and the shadow we will fear no evil....on and on you could go with this...Thank you Lord for such preachers...May the pundits take a lesson from him...

I hope to study more about David and write a little more.....

Thank You Jesus

2008-09-08T08:24:00.000-07:00

I would have been able to enjoy this beautiful country

this week so much more if I had had my children

and grandchildren here with me. It has not been

easy to keep up with all these hurricanes here because

we do not have access to cable tv. And no one had

electricity in Louisiana or phone service after the

storm to give me a report of the happenings down

there. Laura and Jennifer were so good to call

whenever they could to let me know how they were

doing. I am so grateful for their phone calls.

I have watched Lajuana with her family and the sharing

that goes on here. There is a lot of togetherness for

sure. It makes me miss my children. Out of sight out

of mind is certainly not true. But I am reassured that

God has them in His Hand and that no one will

snatch them from HIM. It was great to hear from them

and know that they had survived the storm and

patiently awaiting the turning on of their electricity.

As of yesterday they were still without power.

LaJuana and I have a wonderful time when we

are here in the Smokey Mountains but I am always

happy to return to Southern Louisiana for a time so

that I can catch up with my children. I am praying

that this next storm bypasses those that have just

been hit by Gustav.

God has been so good to LaJuana and me. We are so

very blessed in so many ways and we thank God

every day for His blessings and pray blessings over

ALL our children and grandchildren.

GUSTAV VS PRAYER

2008-09-03T09:30:00.000-07:00

THE SEA OF GALILEE

As Gustav bore down on Cuba and broke into the Gulf of Mexico in a rage of fury with 150 mph winds, I shuddered at the destruction and death it could cause on the northern Gulf Shore.

I had sat through Katrina and Rita just 60 miles from New Orleans. I will never forget the howling of the wind and the sound of the snapping of the trees and the unbelievable spoiling of the beautiful swamps and wildlife and death.

I have been in Tennessee for a few days, but I have been watching the images of the storm, Gustav, on T.V. I have thought of my children and grandchildren daily who are in Louisiana and in the path of the storm. The cone of probability told us it is headed toward them with the destructive aim of a category 5 hurricane. And it had not even begun to cross the very warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

I thought of Jesus. He can control the winds. He and His disciples were crossing the Sea of Galilee and "...a great windstorm arose..." (Mk. 4:37) The boat they were in was filling with water. Jesus was "...in the stern, asleep on a pillow..."(Mk. 4:38) His disciples awoke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?" O Yes He cares. I know He cares. When the storms of life are raging He will stand by us. "...He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace, be still." And the wind ceased and there was a great calm."(Mk. 4:39)

He told us to pray without ceasing. He bid us ask it shall be given. He tells us to come boldly to the throne of grace. So we did. We prayed.

The realistic or pessimistic prognosticators had deemed it the storm of the century. It was bearing down on the children and the grandchildren. We were anxious for their lives and welfare. So we prayed. Lord do something to this storm. Dismantle it. Cause it to dissipate. And I am sure thousands of others were praying.

The next morning when we awoke the weather report indicated that the storm had decreased in wind velocity to 115 mph. It still had to cross the Gulf, but when it hit it was a mild category three storm.

Today I talked with my children. They and the grandchildren are unharmed. They are safe. God answers prayers. Thank you Lord....