Aaaahhhh!

Maybe I am just on a sentimental kick today, but this is one beautiful picture! For those of you who have had a "special friend" in the early grades in school, this little photo will have a special meaning. Who knows if they will ever get together as adults, but it would be nice to think they might! Sometimes, however, things don't always work out and here is a good example from the book of Judges.

Judges 16:1-21 (WEB)
1) Samson went to Gaza, and saw there a prostitute, and went in to her.
2) The Gazites were told, “Samson is here!” They surrounded him, and laid wait for him all night in the gate of the city, and were quiet all the night, saying, “Wait until morning light, then we will kill him.”
3) Samson lay until midnight, and arose at midnight, and laid hold of the doors of the gate of the city, and the two posts, and plucked them up, bar and all, and put them on his shoulders, and carried them up to the top of the mountain that is before Hebron.
4) It came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.
5) The lords of the Philistines came up to her, and said to her, “Entice him, and see in which his great strength lies, and by what means we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him; and we will each give you eleven hundred pieces of silver.”
6) Delilah said to Samson, “Please tell me where your great strength lies, and what you might be bound to afflict you.”
7) Samson said to her, “If they bind me with seven green cords that were never dried, then shall I become weak, and be as another man.”
8) Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven green cords which had not been dried, and she bound him with them.
9) Now she had an ambush waiting in the inner room. She said to him, “The Philistines are on you, Samson!” He broke the cords, as a string of tow is broken when it touches the fire. So his strength was not known.
10) Delilah said to Samson, “Behold, you have mocked me, and told me lies: now please tell me with which you might be bound.”
11) He said to her, “If they only bind me with new ropes with which no work has been done, then shall I become weak, and be as another man.”
12) So Delilah took new ropes, and bound him therewith, and said to him, “The Philistines are on you, Samson!” The ambush was waiting in the inner room. He broke them off his arms like a thread.
13) Delilah said to Samson, “Until now, you have mocked me and told me lies. Tell me with what you might be bound.” He said to her, “If you weave the seven locks of my head with the web.”
14) She fastened it with the pin, and said to him, “The Philistines are on you, Samson!” He awakened out of his sleep, and plucked away the pin of the beam, and the web.
15) She said to him, “How can you say, ‘I love you,’ when your heart is not with me? You have mocked me these three times, and have not told me where your great strength lies.”
16) It happened, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, that his soul was troubled to death.
17) He told her all his heart, and said to her, “No razor has ever come on my head; for I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother’s womb. If I am shaved, then my strength will go from me, and I will become weak, and be like any other man.”
18) When Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, “Come up this once, for he has told me all his heart.” Then the lords of the Philistines came up to her, and brought the money in their hand.
19) She made him sleep on her knees; and she called for a man, and shaved off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him.
20) She said, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” He awoke out of his sleep, and said, “I will go out as at other times, and shake myself free.” But he didn’t know that Yahweh had departed from him.
21) The Philistines laid hold on him, and put out his eyes; and they brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he ground at the mill in the prison.
(Judges 16:1-21, WEB)

Samson was quite a character; blessed by God with exceptional strength, but subject to all the weakness of the male of the species. He took what he wanted out of life without regard for the wishes of his creator and ultimately paid a price for it. Samson had lost that purity that the kids in the picture obviously have and that loss was a great one indeed!!! In the next chapter of Judges, we see God using Samson, but I can't help but wonder what Samson's life would have been like if he had remained pure. In case you are wondering, my first girlfriend was named Susan and I used to bring her flowers and we would sit in the front seat on the school bus. Love is a wonderful thing; somehow, it was extra special in the first grade.

Another use for "Pearly"

Here is something I bet you have never seen before; a cow used like a horse. Yet, strangely enough, when I was young, my younger brother and I used to ride a cow named "Pearly". We didn't have a saddle of course and the ride was very slow, but we were happy anyway. Its not very often we think of cows being prominent in a Bible story, but here it is.

Samuel 5:8-12 (WEB)
8) They sent therefore and gathered all the lords of the Philistines to them, and said, “What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?” They answered, “Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried over to Gath.” They carried the ark of the God of Israel there.
9) It was so, that after they had carried it about, the hand of Yahweh was against the city with a very great confusion: and he struck the men of the city, both small and great; and tumors broke out on them.
10) So they sent the ark of God to Ekron. It happened, as the ark of God came to Ekron, that the Ekronites cried out, saying, “They have brought about the ark of the God of Israel to us, to kill us and our people.”
11) They sent therefore and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and they said, “Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it go again to its own place, that it not kill us and our people.” For there was a deadly confusion throughout all the city; the hand of God was very heavy there.
12) The men who didn’t die were struck with the tumors; and the cry of the city went up to heaven.
(1 Samuel 5:8-12, WEB)

1 Samuel 6:1-12 (WEB)
1 Samuel 6
1) The ark of Yahweh was in the country of the Philistines seven months.
2) The Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, “What shall we do with the ark of Yahweh? Show us with which we shall send it to its place.”
3) They said, “If you send away the ark of the God of Israel, don’t send it empty; but by all means return him a trespass offering: then you shall be healed, and it shall be known to you why his hand is not removed from you.”
4) Then they said, “What shall be the trespass offering which we shall return to him?” They said, “Five golden tumors, and five golden mice, for the number of the lords of the Philistines; for one plague was on you all, and on your lords.
5) Therefore you shall make images of your tumors, and images of your mice that mar the land; and you shall give glory to the God of Israel: perhaps he will lighten his hand from off you, and from off your gods, and from off your land.
6) Why then do you harden your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? When he had worked wonderfully among them, didn’t they let the people go, and they departed?
7) “Now therefore take and prepare yourselves a new cart, and two milk cows, on which there has come no yoke; and tie the cows to the cart, and bring their calves home from them;
8) and take the ark of Yahweh, and lay it on the cart; and put the jewels of gold, which you return him for a trespass offering, in a coffer by its side; and send it away, that it may go.
9) Behold; if it goes up by the way of its own border to Beth Shemesh, then he has done us this great evil: but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that struck us; it was a chance that happened to us.”
10) The men did so, and took two milk cows, and tied them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home;
11) and they put the ark of Yahweh on the cart, and the coffer with the mice of gold and the images of their tumors.
12) The cows took the straight way by the way to Beth Shemesh; they went along the highway, lowing as they went, and didn’t turn aside to the right hand or to the left; and the lords of the Philistines went after them to the border of Beth Shemesh.
(1 Samuel 6:1-12, WEB)

Saul and his sons were dead, the ark was captured by the Philistines, yet story was not over; the Philistines needed to pay for what they did. And pay they did! The WEB refers to their affliction as "tumors", when in fact they were hemorrhoids. The atonement the Philistines had to make was golden images of their tumors along with the ark being returned to Israel. You guessed it, the cows brought them back. Just goes to show you, God always wins in the end.

Perspectives in punctuation

From the moment of birth we are defined by our sex. Common sense will tell you: boys and girls are just naturally different. No matter what society you consider, there is a constant friction between the seses. Men want too much control over the female of the species and so do women. All this leads to strife, but it really doesn't have to be that way. Read some of what Paul had to say:

1Co 11:1-16 ESV
(1) Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.
(2) Now I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I delivered them to you.
(3) But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God.
(4) Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head,
(5) but every wife who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, since it is the same as if her head were shaven.
(6) For if a wife will not cover her head, then she should cut her hair short. But since it is disgraceful for a wife to cut off her hair or shave her head, let her cover her head.
(7) For a man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God, but woman is the glory of man.
(8) For man was not made from woman, but woman from man.
(9) Neither was man created for woman, but woman for man.
(10) That is why a wife ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels.
(11) Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man nor man of woman;
(12) for as woman was made from man, so man is now born of woman. And all things are from God.
(13) Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a wife to pray to God with her head uncovered?
(14) Does not nature itself teach you that if a man wears long hair it is a disgrace for him,
(15) but if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For her hair is given to her for a covering.
(16) If anyone is inclined to be contentious, we have no such practice, nor do the churches of God.

Different from the creation, made for different purposes, with different characteristics and strengths, each compliments the other. They why so many problems? I think it is because God is left out of the equation. Instead of worrying about greatness or power in a relationship, why not focus on God instead. Man is the head of woman (as defined as the source, or the head-water, if you will) and woman comes from man and is for him. Relationships that are meaningful, go far beyond power and reach even to the heights of true love. No matter how you punctuate the paragraph at the top, if God is guiding both individuals, then everything will be OK! Now, if I just could get my own spouse to listen to this I would be in great shape. But, who knows, maybe someday........

A friend in need....

OK, in case you are wondering, I chose this cat because I saw the new Tim Burton's "Alice in Wonderland". This cat may not be the Cheshire cat, but it does seem to have a smile on its face. What does it take to make you happy? I suppose it could be many things, but I am reminded of a situation where one friend helped another in a time of need.

2Sa 16:16-23 ESV
(16) And when Hushai the Archite, David's friend, came to Absalom, Hushai said to Absalom, "Long live the king! Long live the king!"
(17) And Absalom said to Hushai, "Is this your loyalty to your friend? Why did you not go with your friend?"
(18) And Hushai said to Absalom, "No, for whom the LORD and this people and all the men of Israel have chosen, his I will be, and with him I will remain.
(19) And again, whom should I serve? Should it not be his son? As I have served your father, so I will serve you."
(20) Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, "Give your counsel. What shall we do?"
(21) Ahithophel said to Absalom, "Go in to your father's concubines, whom he has left to keep the house, and all Israel will hear that you have made yourself a stench to your father, and the hands of all who are with you will be strengthened."
(22) So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof. And Absalom went in to his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel.
(23) Now in those days the counsel that Ahithophel gave was as if one consulted the word of God; so was all the counsel of Ahithophel esteemed, both by David and by Absalom.

2Sa 17:1-23 ESV
(1) Moreover, Ahithophel said to Absalom, "Let me choose twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue David tonight.
(2) I will come upon him while he is weary and discouraged and throw him into a panic, and all the people who are with him will flee. I will strike down only the king,
(3) and I will bring all the people back to you as a bride comes home to her husband. You seek the life of only one man, and all the people will be at peace."
(4) And the advice seemed right in the eyes of Absalom and all the elders of Israel.
(5) Then Absalom said, "Call Hushai the Archite also, and let us hear what he has to say."
(6) And when Hushai came to Absalom, Absalom said to him, "Thus has Ahithophel spoken; shall we do as he says? If not, you speak."
(7) Then Hushai said to Absalom, "This time the counsel that Ahithophel has given is not good."
(8) Hushai said, "You know that your father and his men are mighty men, and that they are enraged, like a bear robbed of her cubs in the field. Besides, your father is expert in war; he will not spend the night with the people.
(9) Behold, even now he has hidden himself in one of the pits or in some other place. And as soon as some of the people fall at the first attack, whoever hears it will say, 'There has been a slaughter among the people who follow Absalom.'
(10) Then even the valiant man, whose heart is like the heart of a lion, will utterly melt with fear, for all Israel knows that your father is a mighty man, and that those who are with him are valiant men.
(11) But my counsel is that all Israel be gathered to you, from Dan to Beersheba, as the sand by the sea for multitude, and that you go to battle in person.
(12) So we shall come upon him in some place where he is to be found, and we shall light upon him as the dew falls on the ground, and of him and all the men with him not one will be left.
(13) If he withdraws into a city, then all Israel will bring ropes to that city, and we shall drag it into the valley, until not even a pebble is to be found there."
(14) And Absalom and all the men of Israel said, "The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel." For the LORD had ordained to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, so that the LORD might bring harm upon Absalom.
(15) Then Hushai said to Zadok and Abiathar the priests, "Thus and so did Ahithophel counsel Absalom and the elders of Israel, and thus and so have I counseled.
(16) Now therefore send quickly and tell David, 'Do not stay tonight at the fords of the wilderness, but by all means pass over, lest the king and all the people who are with him be swallowed up.'"
(17) Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz were waiting at En-rogel. A female servant was to go and tell them, and they were to go and tell King David, for they were not to be seen entering the city.
(18) But a young man saw them and told Absalom. So both of them went away quickly and came to the house of a man at Bahurim, who had a well in his courtyard. And they went down into it.
(19) And the woman took and spread a covering over the well's mouth and scattered grain on it, and nothing was known of it.
(20) When Absalom's servants came to the woman at the house, they said, "Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?" And the woman said to them, "They have gone over the brook of water." And when they had sought and could not find them, they returned to Jerusalem.
(21) After they had gone, the men came up out of the well, and went and told King David. They said to David, "Arise, and go quickly over the water, for thus and so has Ahithophel counseled against you."
(22) Then David arose, and all the people who were with him, and they crossed the Jordan. By daybreak not one was left who had not crossed the Jordan.
(23) When Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his donkey and went off home to his own city. He set his house in order and hanged himself, and he died and was buried in the tomb of his father.

Hushai helped his friend David and in the process probably saved his life. That would be enough to make anyone happy! OK, maybe David did not smile like the Cheshire Cat or even the cat in the picture, but he did get by with a little help from his friend and as the Scriptures teach, this was ordained by God. When we realize that God is truly working in our lives, it always makes us smile. The more I think about this, the more I smile, because as time goes by, I remember all things God has done for me; how about you????

Common ground

For KK

Interesting picture! One can only wonder what it must be like to dress like this; to live in a culture (in this case Chinese) that is radically different. I wonder, exactly what does go through the mind of one so radically different from myself. Actually, this sort of question must have been asked by the Apostle Paul as he strove to reach all those of the ancient world with the gospel of Jesus. Question: Just how does one go about reaching others anyway? This passage from Corinthians gives us some insight.

1Co 9:1-22 ESV
(1) Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are not you my workmanship in the Lord?
(2) If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you, for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.
(3) This is my defense to those who would examine me.
(4) Do we not have the right to eat and drink?
(5) Do we not have the right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas?
(6) Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working for a living?
(7) Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard without eating any of its fruit? Or who tends a flock without getting some of the milk?
(8) Do I say these things on human authority? Does not the Law say the same?
(9) For it is written in the Law of Moses, "You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain." Is it for oxen that God is concerned?
(10) Does he not speak entirely for our sake? It was written for our sake, because the plowman should plow in hope and the thresher thresh in hope of sharing in the crop.
(11) If we have sown spiritual things among you, is it too much if we reap material things from you?
(12) If others share this rightful claim on you, do not we even more? Nevertheless, we have not made use of this right, but we endure anything rather than put an obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ.
(13) Do you not know that those who are employed in the temple service get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in the sacrificial offerings?
(14) In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel.
(15) But I have made no use of any of these rights, nor am I writing these things to secure any such provision. For I would rather die than have anyone deprive me of my ground for boasting.
(16) For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!
(17) For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward, but if not of my own will, I am still entrusted with a stewardship.
(18) What then is my reward? That in my preaching I may present the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel.
(19) For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them.
(20) To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law.
(21) To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law.
(22) To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some.

Paul was an unusual sort of person. But, he cared enough for others to try to find common ground with them, to reach them any way he could. I think a good start is to realize that we all have humanity in common, no matter how strange their lifestyles may seem to us. Deep down we are ALL human beings and have the same needs and Jesus can help everyone; from those in New Jersey, Canada and even as far away as China. This picture was a little deception of mine, because it is my grand-daughter all dressed up to look oriental. Like I said, inside we are all the same; we just are raised differently in the culture we find ourselves in. Be who you are, but care about others; reach out and they just might do the same. If it was good enough for Paul, perhaps it is worth a try. Only, I think I will pass on the dress.

Today is....

This reminds me of an old song by Chicago: "Does anybody really know what time it is?" But a circular calendar???? Interesting!!! Calendars mark the passage of time; they are based on all sorts of things, the moon, the sun, the reign of this or that empire (or emperor). Isn't it interesting that our current calendar is obtained from the birth of Jesus. Jesus said much about time, but I thought of this passage......

Mat 26:17-31 ESV
(17) Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the Passover?"
(18) He said, "Go into the city to a certain man and say to him, 'The Teacher says, My time is at hand. I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.'"
(19) And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover.
(20) When it was evening, he reclined at table with the twelve.
(21) And as they were eating, he said, "Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me."
(22) And they were very sorrowful and began to say to him one after another, "Is it I, Lord?"
(23) He answered, "He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will betray me.
(24) The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born."
(25) Judas, who would betray him, answered, "Is it I, Rabbi?" He said to him, "You have said so."
(26) Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, "Take, eat; this is my body."
(27) And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, "Drink of it, all of you,
(28) for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
(29) I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom."
(30) And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
(31) Then Jesus said to them, "You will all fall away because of me this night. For it is written, 'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.'

Jesus marked time by his mission; his appointed sacrifice to come. So should we. Over the years I have read many different arguments over the EXACT DATE OF HIS BIRTH, but in reality, that really is not the correct thing to focus on. It is his death and resurrection, because without that sacrifice, where would we be? Fortunately, that has been documented and documented and documented again. So, would anyone out there like to move our date to 1977? I wouldn't mind because that was a very good year. For the time being though, I still am trying to get my hands around this circular calendar, but honestly; IT GIVES ME A HEADACHE!!!

hang in there...

Its funny how animals are a bit like people; in some households, the dog of the house thinks its the master of the house, in others different things happen. In this case I think the cat is very attached to this small boy and will not give up for anything. Reminds me of this passage from the book of John.

Joh 6:47-69 ESV
(47) Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.
(48) I am the bread of life.
(49) Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died.
(50) This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die.
(51) I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh."
(52) The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?"
(53) So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.
(54) Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.
(55) For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.
(56) Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.
(57) As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me.
(58) This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever."
(59) Jesus said these things in the synagogue, as he taught at Capernaum.
(60) When many of his disciples heard it, they said, "This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?"
(61) But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, "Do you take offense at this?
(62) Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?
(63) It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.
(64) But there are some of you who do not believe." (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.)
(65) And he said, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father."
(66) After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.
(67) So Jesus said to the Twelve, "Do you want to go away as well?"
(68) Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life,
(69) and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God."

Is there a point when friendship ends, or in other words, is there a limit to how far a friend will go? Some people will balk when things get a little tough, BUT OTHERS.... Like the cat in the picture, they just keep hanging on. True faith is like that; it just doesn't quit, no matter what. The twelve understood it (except Judas, of course), but I wonder if we do? No matter what means just that, no options, no holds barred, WHATEVER HAPPENS; PERIOD. Its not always easy to follow God, but don't quit. One more thing.... I hope that young fellow in the picture has a clean diaper; it would make life a whole lot easier!