#and if we are putting anything above Christ that can become idolatry so its good to be careful

[jacepi-time]

Regardless of how one feels about priesthood, confessing to one another and holding each other accountable isn't a bad thing however the Bible does distinctly mention Jesus being the high priest of Whom we can directly confess our sins to. Because it was originally set up in the old covenant in the OT where people had to go to levitical priests to sacrifice their sins, but with the new covenant it's different, the whole point is that Jesus has become the new and permanent High Priest who intercedes for us and our sins. HEBREWS 7:21 (for they indeed became priests without an oath, but He with an oath through the One who said to Him,

“The Lord has sworn And will not change His mind, ‘You are a priest forever’”);

22 by the same extent Jesus also has become the guarantee of a better covenant.

23 The former priests, on the one hand, existed in greater numbers because they were prevented by death from continuing; 24 Jesus, on the other hand, because He continues forever, holds His priesthood permanently. 25 Therefore He is also able to save forever those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

26 For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens; 27 who has no daily need, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because He did this once for all time when He offered up Himself. 28 For the Law appoints men as high priests who are weak, but the word of the oath, which came after the Law, appoints a Son, who has been made perfect forever.

HEBREWS 4:14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

1 JOHN 2:2 My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.

JOHN 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me

1 JOHN 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. PSALM 32:5 I acknowledged my sin to you,     and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”     and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. 

It's important to the whole scope of salvation that we have direct contact and communication with Jesus and that He forgives us of our sins, human priests are still limited by their own humanness and even if one believes one can confess to priests for sin be it for accountability or something else, that doesn't negate the fact you can go to Jesus at any point without needing a priest to intercede for you. Jesus Christ is the Intercessor.

girl help I'm being faced with the overwhelming depth of my own sin

[spiritsoulandbody]

#DailyDevotion Is The LORD Alone Your Every Good?

#DailyDevotion Is The LORD Alone Your Every Good? Psalm 16 Keep me safe, O God – You are my shelter. 2I told the LORD, “You are my Lord. My well-being is only in You.” 3But as for those on earth who are holy, they are noble ones in whom is my total delight. Who else are we to turn to? What alone can truly keep us safe? It may seem we can turn to other things but what can man truly do to us? Jesus tells us to, “fear the One who can put both body and soul in hell.” So David and Jesus turn only to the LORD to keep them safe and to be their shelter. You too should take up this theme upon your heart and mind. Then and only then the peace of God which is beyond all understanding keep your heart and mind in Christ Jesus. David here defines God for us and Martin Luther in his large catechism seems to take his definition of God from here. God is the One whom we turn to for our well-being, our Tov (Hebrew-good). Everyone has a god or gods. Everyone has faith. The question is if our faith is the true faith or a false faith. A true faith has as its object the God of Israel, Yahweh, Jesus Christ. Do you turn to the Father in Jesus' name alone for every good in your life. Is Adonai (Lord in Hebrew only used for God) your well-being? Jesus turned and trusted only in his Father above for every good and entrusted his whole life to Him. If your faith is in Jesus you should do the same. Those who have this faith are the holy ones of God. They are His saints. Those who put their faith in Jesus Christ of Nazareth are the ones that please God, Jesus and David. They are His delight. They are the apple of His eye. 4Those who buy another god quickly multiply their sorrows. I will not pour out drink offerings of blood for them or take their names on my lips. So those who do not turn to the Father through Jesus for every good in their lives will ultimately buy and get some idol to look to and receive anything good. Often, that which is good, part of creation that we want, becomes our god. So the LORD our God created food, drink, house, home, wife, husbands, children, work, drugs, sex, music, and the like. Instead of turning to God our Father for these good things, we turn to the good things themselves as the source of every good and happiness. We often call this idolatry today—addictions. We seek our happiness and well-being from all these good things and abuse them. In this process, they end up causing us more harm than good. In ancient times and in some pagan cultures these goods have names which are their gods. When we abandon God for these, He lets them consume our lives to call us to repentance. The question then is, will we hear, listen and repent of these false gods for the One True God who gives us every good. 5The LORD is my measured portion and my cup; You firmly hold my destiny. David reminds us here then to have the LORD Jesus Christ be your measured portion and your cup. He is your destiny. Jesus is your inheritance. You don't need these false gods to provide your well-being, your every good. Look to the Father for everything in Jesus. As Jesus tells us in Matthew 6, “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added unto you.” May God alone be your every good and the things we need for daily life will be provided for you. Don't fear not having enough in life, fear not having God in Christ Jesus. Then you can live in peace. Heavenly Father, give us faith to trust in you alone for every good so our hearts may rest in peace in You and Your Son Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen. Read the full article

[hobbitsetal]

I can’t ever be saved, and what I mean is this: I love my spouse, the kids, a show or game with them, science, experiencing new things, tasting new foods, petting every dog, having a home and other things. Clearly the Bible says if you love the world or things in the world you do not love God and He does not love you. How do I reconcile? How do I hate that which I love and have been blessed with? (I’m aware of the entertainment debate among Christians here as well, and it’s worldly)

Do you imagine your love for God is what saves you? No. “We love because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:19)

“But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” (emphasis mine.)

Let me make myself very clear: what you are saying is a form of an ancient heresy known as Gnosticism, and it was rejected categorically by the church within the first 200 years of Christianity. Indeed, one could argue the apostle John rejects Gnosticism with chapter 4 in declaring, “every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God.“

What is Gnosticism? It’s the belief that anything flesh, anything physical, is sin, and anything spiritual is good. This ignores the theology that God created us to be bodies as well as souls and that God is concerned about our bodies. This ignores that when God created the world, He declared it “good” over and over and over. And it ignores that God doesn’t plan to do away with creation, He intends to remake creation.

I’m quoting John extensively, so let’s take a look at the passage to which you’re referring, 1 John 2:15-17: “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.“

Hermeneutics! Big fancy Greek word meaning “how to study the Bible!” Who wrote it, to whom did he write it, when did he write, what was his purpose in writing it, what did he intend his audience to learn from it, and what does it mean to us today?

John (obviously) wrote 1 John, he wrote it to multiple Christian churches (probably in Asia Minor), he most likely wrote it no later than the 90s AD, he wrote to emphasize what Christ has done for us, I’d argue he wanted his audience to learn more about the love of God from it, and it means...heck, it means a lot to us today. It’s one of my favorite books.

So we know John wrote it. What else did John write? The Gospel of John, 2 and 3 John, and the book of Revelation are all historically/traditionally credited to the Apostle John. What’s a common theme for John? The world.

Here’s the thing: when John says “the world,” he refers to unregenerate mankind. He’s not referring to the created world. St. Augustine made the same divide when he referred to “the city of man vs the city of God.”

This is the only true divide in life: those who are redeemed by Christ and those are opposed to God.

Given this, I do not believe that John is condemning us for enjoying our spouses, entertainment, and children. I'd go further: we ought to praise God for these things!

James 1 says, "Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls."

I'm quoting this passage at length for several reasons: first and foremost, to remind you that your spouse and children are good gifts. Psalms and Proverbs repeatedly speak of children as a good thing! Marriage itself, and your spouse by extension, is a picture of Christ's relationship with the church. It is not wrong to take joy in what God gives to us. Indeed, we are commanded to take joy in them!

I'm quoting it also because James goes on from "God gives us good things" to say "because God loves us and redeems us and gives us good things, be like God in these ways and put away these sins."

Galatians 5 is another example of this type of passage, and also brings me to my next argument for why you can and should enjoy science, shows and games, and time with your family.

"For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires."

Let me highlight verse 18: "if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law." Our deeds do not save us. How much love we have for God does not save us. The Spirit of the Lord and the sacrifice of Christ and the love of God the Trinity saves us. 

Does spending time with your family, exploring science, or playing a game lead you into immorality? Does it tempt you to fight or get drunk? Or does it promote love within your family, joy in God's creation, kindness toward your children, patience and self control with your family members?

God is an ever-creative God. He crafted our senses, He gave us the intellect to explore His universe, He made us in His image so that we are capable of love and relationship and joy and play and fun. Don't mistake enjoying His gifts to mean we automatically dismiss the Giver.

As a final thought, I encourage you to look up Brad Bigney's "Gospel Treason," either book or sermon series. He explores the concept of idolatry and right worship clearly and well, and I think that would be helpful to you in considering this.

I have strong opinions on the entertainment debate, too, if you're ever interested in hearing those.

[basicsofislam]

ISLAM 101: Muslim Beliefs: Existence and Oneness of God Almighty: TAWHID (GOD’S ONENESS)

All religions revealed to the Prophets have the same essence. Over time, however, the original message was misinterpreted, mixed with superstition, and degenerated into magical practices and meaningless rituals. The conception of God, the very core of religion, was debased by anthropomorphism, deifying angels, associating others with God, considering Prophets or godly people as incarnations of God (Jesus Christ, Buddha, Krishna, and Rama), and personifying His Attributes through separate deities.

The Prophet rejected such theological trends and restored the conception of God as the only Creator, Sustainer, and Master of all creation to its pristine purity. Thus, as John Davenport puts it:

Among many excellencies of which the Quran may justly boast are two eminently conspicuous: the one being the tone of awe and reverence which it always observes when speaking of, or referring to, the Deity, to Whom it never attributes human frailties and passions; the other the total absence throughout it of all impure, immoral and indecent ideas, expressions, narratives, etc., blemishes, which, it is much to be regretted, of too frequent occurrence in the Jewish scriptures.

Tawhid, Divine Unity and Oneness, is clearly observed throughout the universe. If we look at ourselves and our environment, we easily discern that everything depends upon this principle. For example, our bodily parts cooperate with each other. Each cell is so connected with the whole body that the One Who created it must be He Who created the body. Likewise, each element comprising the universe is interrelated and in harmony with each other element and the universe as a whole.

Given this, the only logical conclusion is that the same Creator Who created the particles created the universe, and that the motion of subatomic particles is the same as that observed in the solar system. Everything originates from “one” and returns to “one”: We originated the first creation, so We shall bring it back (to its former state) again (21:104). A tree, for instance, grows out of a seed or a stone and finally results in a seed or a stone. This strict obedience to the One Who established that order explains why the universe is so orderly and harmonious. As the Creator, One, All-Omnipotent and All-Knowing, operates it directly, how could it be otherwise? As the Qur’an reminds us:

Each god would have taken off what he created, and some of them would have risen up over others. Had there been gods in Earth and heaven other than God, they both would have been in disorder. (21:22)

Tawhid is the highest conception of deity that God revealed to us through His Prophets, among whom were Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad. Over time, people deviated from the pure teachings after their Prophets died. Turning to polytheism or idolatry, they relied upon their own faulty reasoning, false perceptions, and biased interpretations to satisfy their lusts. Such a course is impossible with a tawhid-based system, for this requires that they obey only the One Supreme God’s commandments.

‘Ali Ibn Abi Talib is reported to have said:

The foremost in religion is God’s knowledge, the perfection of His knowledge is to testify to Him, the perfection of testifying to Him is to believe in His Oneness, the perfection of believing in His Oneness is to regard Him as pure, and the perfection of His purity is to deny all kinds of negative attributes about Him.

He is infinite and eternal, self-existent and self-sufficient. As stated in the Qur’an:

He is God, One, needy of nothing and Everlasting Refuge; He begets not, nor is He begotten; and there is none like unto Him. (112:1-4)

There is nothing like or compared unto Him. (42:11)

Vision perceives Him not, and He perceives all vision; and He (alone) is the All-Hearing and All-Seeing. (6:103)

In the words of ‘Ali:

He is Being but not through the phenomenon of coming into being. He exists but not from non-existence. He is with everything but not by physical nearness. He is different from everything but not by physical separation. He acts but without the accompaniment of movements and instruments. He is the One, only such that there is none with whom He keeps company or whom He misses in his absence.

God’s Attributes cannot be transferred or present in another, since they are infinite. One who cannot keep himself alive cannot give life to others. One who cannot protect his own power cannot govern the vast universe. The more one reflects, the clearer it becomes that all divine powers and attributes must exist in only in that one particular being.

Implications of Tawhid

Monotheists, those who believe in Tawhid, cannot be narrow-minded. Their belief in One God, Creator of the heavens and Earth, Master of the east and the west, and Sustainer of the universe, leads them to view everything as belonging to the same Lord, to Whom they belong as well. Thus they consider nothing as alien. Their sympathy, love, and service are not confined to any particular race, color, or group, and they come to understand the Prophetic saying: “O servants of God, be brethren!”

Monotheism produces the highest degree of self-respect and self-esteem in people. Monotheists know that only God has true power, can benefit or harm them, fulfill their needs, cause them to die, or wield authority and influence. This conviction makes them indifferent to and independent and fearless of all powers other than those of God. They never bow in homage to any of God’s creatures.

Monotheists, although humble and mild, never abase themselves by bowing before anyone or anything except God. They never aim at any advantage by their worship, even if that advange is Paradise. They seek only to please God and obtain His approval.

Monotheists, although naturally weak and powerless as human beings, become powerful enough through their Lord’s Power to resist the whole world. They are virtuous and altruistic, for their purpose is to gain God’s approval by working for His good pleasure. Boisterous pride of power and wealth can have no room in their hearts, for they know that whatever they possess is bestowed by God, and that God can take away as easily as He can give.

Monotheists know that the only way to success and salvation is to acquire a pure soul and righteous behavior. They have perfect faith in God, Who is above all need, related to none, absolutely just, and without partner in His exercise of Divine Power. Given this belief, they understand that they can succeed only through right living and just action, for no influence or underhanded activity can save them from ruin. However, some believe that someone has atoned for their sins; and others assert that they are God’s favorites and thus immune to punishment. Still others believe that their idols or saints will intercede with God on their behalf, and so make offerings to their deities in the belief that such bribes give them a license to do whatever they want. Such false beliefs keep them entangled in sin and evil, and their dependence on such deities cause them to neglect their need for spiritual purification and for living pure and good lives.

Monotheists do not become hopeless and disappointed. Their firm faith in God, Master of all treasures of Earth and the heavens, and Possessor of limitless grace and bounty and infinite power, imparts to their hearts extraordinary consolation, fills it with satisfaction, and keeps it filled with hope. In this world they might meet with rejection at all doors, nothing might serve their ends, and all means might desert them. But faith in and dependence on God, which never leave them, give them the strength to go on struggling. Such a profound confidence can come only from belief in the One God. Such a belief produces great determination, patient perseverance, and trust in God. When they decide to devote their resources to fulfilling the Divine Commands to secure God’s good pleasure and approval, they are sure that they have the Lord of the Universe’s support and backing.

Many polytheists and atheists, on the other hand, usually have small hearts and depend on limited powers. Thus their troubles and the resulting despair soon overwhelm them and, frequently, they commit suicide. Professor Joad’s testimony is explicit on this point:

For the first time in history there is coming to maturity a generation of men and women [in the West of the 1950s] who have no religion, and feel no need for one. They are content to ignore it. Also they are very unhappy, the suicide rate is abnormally high. (Phillip K. Hitti, History of the Arabs, 6th ed. (New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1956), 129.)

As opposed to this, a non-Muslim historian who is not sympathetic to Islam, writes the following about Tawhid:

In this uncompromising monotheism, with its simple, enthusiastic faith in the supreme rule of a transcendental being, lies the chief strength of Islam. Its adherents enjoy a consciousness of contentment and resignation unknown among followers of most creeds. Suicide is rare in Muslim lands. (The Present and Future of Religion, quoted by Sir Arnold Lunn, And Yet So New (London: Sheed and Ward, 1958), 228).

Monotheism inspires bravery, for it defeats the two factors that make people cowards: fear of death and love of safety, and the belief that someone other than God can somehow be bribed into postponing one’s death. Belief in the Islamic creedal statement that “there is no deity but God” purges the mind of these ideas. The first idea loses its influence when people realize that their lives, property, and everything else really belong to God, for this makes them willing to sacrifice whatever they have for God’s approval. The second idea is defeated when people realize that no weapon, person, or power can kill them, for only God has this power. No one can die before his or her appointed time, even if all of the world’s forces combined to do so. Nothing can bring death forward or push it backward even one instant. This firm belief in One God and dependence upon Him makes monotheists the bravest of people.

Monotheism creates an attitude of peace and contentment, purges the mind of subtle passions and jealousy, envy and greed, and prevents one from resorting to base and unfair means for achieving success. Monotheists understand that God holds their wealth; that He bestows honor, power, reputation, and authority as He wills and subjects them to His Will; and that their duty is only to endeavor and struggle fairly. They know that success and failure depend upon His Grace, for no power can block His Will to give or not to give. They also know that they must strive to deserve His Grace. But many of those who do not believe in God consider success and failure to be the result of their own efforts or by the help of earthly powers, and do not take God’s Grace and Will into consideration. Therefore they remain slaves to cupidity and envy, and use bribery, flattery, conspiracy, and other base and unfair means to achieve success.

Monotheism makes people obey and observe the Divine Law. Monotheists know that God is aware of everything, whether hidden or open, and is nearer to them than their jugular vein. If they sin in secret even under the cover of night, God knows it. He knows our unformed thoughts and intentions, even those of which we ourselves are unaware. We can hide things from people, but not from God. We can evade everyone, but not God’s grasp. The firmer our belief in this respect, the more observant we will be of His Commands. This is why the first and most important condition for being a Muslim is to have firm and sincere faith in God’s Oneness.

This is also the most important and fundamental principle of the Prophet’s teachings, as well as Islam’s bedrock and the mainspring of its power. All other beliefs, commands, and laws of Islam stand firm on this foundation. Lastly, we quote the remarks of Dr. Laura Veccia Vaglieri, a famous Italian Orientalist, concerning the universal spirit of Islamic monotheism:

The Prophet, with a voice which was inspired by a deep communion with his Maker, preached the purest monotheism to the worshippers of fetish and the followers of a corrupted Christianity and Judaism. He put himself in open conflict with those regressive tendencies of mankind which lead to the association of other beings with the Creator.

In order to lead men to a belief in one God, he did not delude them with happenings which deviate from the normal course of nature. Rather, he simply invited them, without asking them to leave the realm of reality, to consider the Universe and its laws. Being confident of the resultant belief in the one and indispensable God, he simply let men read in the book of life.

Thanks to Islam, paganism in its various forms was defeated. The concept of the Universe, the practices of religion, and the customs of social life were each liberated from all the monstrosities which had degraded them, and human minds were made free of prejudice. Man finally realized his dignity. (Vaglieri, Laura Veccia, Apologia dell Islamismo. Washington: American Fazl Mosque [1957]; trans.

Aldo Caselli, An Interpretation of Islam. Beirut: Laila Khalidy Memorial Foundation [1957?], 30-33.)

[theragamuffininitiative]

Hey, rags....I'm wondering if you could bestow some sage advice on me. Every once in a while, I tend to have these spurts where I'm just, well, lusting (for a lack of a more subtle word) after attractive men. I'm having one of those phases now that's lasted quite a long time. I know it's wrong and sinful, but at the same time, I don't feel bad because I'm single. I'm in my 30's and I've never had so much as a kiss on the cheek. I don't want to be physical physical, but my body wants something.

Hey there, friend. ❤︎

I think the first thing to do is pray. This may sound trite or impractical, but truly there is nothing more helpful than bringing our pains and burdens and sins directly to the cross. We’re going to be tempted and we’re going to sin in this life, but the closer we draw to Christ, the less of anything else we will want. And he is the only Person we can find true help in.

We all struggle with sin, and I’d wager most of us struggle or have struggled with lustful thoughts. This is an article I’ve found helpful. It’s written from a male perspective so a lot of the wording follows, but at its core lust in men and lust in women stem from the same source and end in the same results, so it all applies. There is nothing wrong with sexual desire within a marriage as defined by God. Human beings were created with companionship and even romance in mind. We see that from the first chapters in Genesis to Revelation and to the daily lives we live. The problem with our broken nature is letting Self enter and take over the equation, always taking the good and bending it away from God and toward ourselves.

I’ve started reading Gods at War by Kyle Idleman, a gift to me a few years ago. Idleman puts forth the same concept that the above article ends with: at the very root of sinful desire is another, seemingly archaic, sin: idolatry. We might not have little stone statues we worship, but every sin and every lustful attitude is a result of loving something other than, more than, God.

Unfortunately, there isn’t a magical formula to steer your thinking away from sinning, as much as every single one of us wishes there was.

But by focusing on God, his word, and obedience to him, your love for him will grow as you fight every battle, and his grace is boundlessly and overwhelmingly deep and sure.

I have no practice in bestowing sage advice, but I can point you to the best place to find some:

Lamentations 3:25-27 “The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.” This a verse is for singles. Granted, this passage isn’t talking about waiting for a spouse. It’s about waiting on the Lord. But that’s the point: the Lord is good to those who wait for him. He knows what you need. The preceding verses tell us “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, says my soul, therefore I will hope in him.” Don’t think “How can I live without sex for another year or decade or two decades.” Think about today. The Lord has given you grace for this day and he will give you grace for the every subsequent day in which you follow God in the midst of unmet desires. 

Hebrews 2:17-18 “Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.” Jesus was tempted, not as we are from a sinful nature. But there were external voices calling him to sin. Let us not underestimate the real nature of his temptations and undercut his sympathy and his ability to help. Jesus was hungry in the wilderness. He had a desire, a want. He was enticed to make the stones bread so he could enjoy the pleasure of food. But he told the devil, “Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord” (Matt. 4:1-3). In our moments of sexual temptation, we need to think, “Flesh does not sustain me. Jesus does.”

Matthew 5:8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” This has been the most helpful verse for me in fighting lust and the temptation to sexual immorality. We need to fight desire with desire. Satan tempts us by holding out something that will be pleasurable to us. We aren’t tempted to gorge ourselves on liverwurst, because for most of us, it doesn’t hold out the promise of great pleasure. But sex does. Pornography does. A second look does. The Bible gives us many weapons to fight temptation. We can tell ourselves it is wrong, it is sinful, it will lead to bad things, it isn’t what I should do as a Christian. All of those are helpful. But the one weapon we rarely use is more pleasure. We need to fight the fleeting pleasure of sexual sin with the far greater, more abiding pleasure of knowing God. The fight for sexual purity is the fight of faith. It may sound like nothing but hard work and gritting your teeth–the very opposite of faith. But faith is at the heart of this struggle. Do we believe that a glimpse of God is better than a glimpse of skin? Do we believe that God’s steadfast love is better than life (Psalm 63:3)? We’d probably sin less if we spent less time thinking about our sins, sexual or otherwise, and more time meditating on the love and holiness of God.

Ephesians 1:19-21 “…and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.” The great power that created the world, and saved us, and raised Jesus from the dead–that same power is now at work in you. We must believe that God is stronger than sexual temptation, sin, and addiction. If you believe that God brought a dead man back to life, you should believe that you can change. Not over night usually, but from one degree of glory to the next. Work out your salvation from sexual sin with fear and trembling, for God’s power is already at work within you.

[Source]

Let your heart’s affection and your mind’s attention be focused on Christ. And by “let” I really mean “very forcibly, in concentration, with a great deal of effort and focus.” Because it’s hard. But in the end, only Jesus is worth it.

Does that mean you’re doomed to endless struggling against this sin, and to loneliness without romance in a relationship? No, not necessarily. Again, love and marriage are good things ordained by our creator. But the love of God and the pursuit of him is the highest form and without it, nothing else can ever satisfy or save.

I’ll be praying for you, my friend. If you can, I highly encourage you to seek out a group or an individual who you can trust and confide in, and allow them to come alongside you to pray for and encourage you as well.

[seekfirstme]

The following reflection is courtesy of Don Schwager © 2020. Don's website is located at Dailyscripture.net

http://Dailyscripture.net

Meditation: Do you want to be on fire for God? Jesus shocked his disciples when he declared that he would cast fire and cause division rather than peace upon the earth. What kind of fire did Jesus have in mind here?

The fire of God's purifying love and cleansing word

The image of fire in biblical times was often associated with God and with his action in the world and in the lives of his people. God sometimes manifested his presence by use of fire, such as God's revelation to Moses through the burning bush in the wilderness which was not consumed by the flames (Exodus 3:2). God assured the Hebrew people of his continual presence, guidance, and protection for them through the wilderness for forty years with the pillar of fire by night and a pillar of cloud by day (Exodus 13:21-22). The prophet Elijah called down fire from heaven to reveal God's presence and power and to purify the people of false idols (1 Kings 18:36-39). The image of fire was also used as a sign of God's glory (Ezekiel 1:4, 13) and holiness (Deuteronomy 4:24), his protective presence (2 Kings 6:17), and his righteous judgment (Zechariah 13:9) and holy wrath against sin (Isaiah 66:15-16).

Fire is also a sign and symbol of the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. John the Baptist said that Jesus would baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire (Matthew 3:11-12 and Luke 3:16-17). When the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the disciples at Pentecost "tongues of fire" appeared above their heads (Acts 2:3). We can see from both the Old and New Testament Scriptures that God's fire purifies and cleanses to make us clean (sins washed away) and holy (fit to offer him acceptable praise and worship), and it inspires a reverent fear (awe in God's presence) and respect (obeying and giving God his due) for God and for his holy word.

Loyalty unites - division separates

Why did Jesus link fire from heaven with costly division on the earth? Did he expect his followers to take his statement of "father against son and son against father" and "mother against daughter and daughter against mother" literally? Or was he intentionally using a figure of speech to emphasize the choice and cost of following him above all else? Jesus used a typical Hebrew hyperbole (a figure of speech which uses strong language and exaggeration for emphasis) to drive home an important lesson. We often do the same when we want to emphasize something very strongly. Jesus' hyperbole, however, did contain a real warning that the Gospel message does have serious consequences for our lives.

When Jesus spoke about division within families he likely had in mind the prophecy of Micah: a man's enemies are the men of his own household (Micah 7:6). The essence of Christianity is loyalty to Jesus Christ - the Son of God and Savior of the world - a loyalty that takes precedence over every other relationship. The love of God compels us to choose who will be first in our lives. To place any relationship (or anything else) above God is a form of idolatry.

Who do you love first and foremost?

Jesus challenges his disciples to examine who they love first and foremost. A true disciple loves God above all else and is willing to forsake all for Jesus Christ. Jesus insists that his disciples give him the loyalty which is only due to God, a loyalty which is higher than spouse or kin. It is possible that family and friends can become our enemies if the thought of them keeps us from doing what we know God wants us to do. Does the love of Jesus Christ compel you to put God first in all you do (2 Corinthians 5:14)?

The Gospel message is good news for those who seek pardon, peace, and the abundant life which God offers us through his Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus offers true freedom to those who believe in him - freedom from slavery to sin, Satan, and the oppressive forces of hatred and evil that can destroy body, mind, and spirit. Do you listen to the voice of your Savior and trust in his word? Commit your ways to him, obey his word, and you will find true peace, joy, and happiness in the Lord your God.

"Lord Jesus, may the fire of your love consume me and transform my life that I may truly desire nothing more than life with you. Fill me with the power of your Holy Spirit that I may always seek to please you and do your will."

The following reflection is from One Bread, One Body courtesy of Presentation Ministries © 2020.

ALL IN THE FAMILY

“I kneel before the Father from Whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name; and I pray.” —Ephesians 3:14-16

Today’s first reading is possibly the greatest family prayer ever. It teaches us that, when we pray for our family and others, we should first of all pray for “gifts in keeping with the riches of His glory” (Eph 3:16). Family life is humanly impossible. We must admit this and then pray for supernatural gifts from God.

The demands of family life are overwhelming. The only way we will survive is by asking for and receiving inward strength “through the working of His Spirit” (Eph 3:16). We need not only divine gifts and inward strength, but we need God Himself to reside in our family (Eph 3:17). We bring this about by inviting Jesus into our hearts through faith (Eph 3:17). With God actually living in our family, love can now be the root and foundation of our family life (Eph 3:17), for God is Love (1 Jn 4:16). Because “love covers a multitude of sins” (1 Pt 4:8) and “never fails” (1 Cor 13:8), our families will be holy families, built up in love (Eph 4:16).

This may seem impossible to you, but God’s “power now at work in us can do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine” (Eph 3:20). So start praying the family prayer in Ephesians 3:16-17. Keep praying and obeying. Your family will be so transformed that, when you have a family reunion in heaven soon, not one family member will be missing.

Prayer:  Father, may my family “grasp fully, with all the holy ones, the breadth and length and height and depth of Christ’s love, and experience this love” (Eph 3:18-19).

Promise:  “I have come to light a fire on the earth. How I wish the blaze were ignited!” —Lk 12:49

Praise:  Pope St. John Paul II beatified 1,338 people and canonized 482 saints in his long papacy. He was the first non-Italian pope in 455 years. He is credited with the collapse of Communism in Central and Eastern Europe.

Reference:  

Rescript:  "In accord with the Code of Canon Law, I hereby grant the Nihil Obstat for One Bread, One Body covering the period from October 1, 2020 through November 30, 2020. Most Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Auxiliary Bishop, Vicar General, Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio February 25, 2020"

The Nihil Obstat ("Permission to Publish") is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted the Nihil Obstat agree with the contents, opinions, or statements

[kingdomofthelogos]

God Cares “Why”

Read Nehemiah 12

There is a great distinction to be made between motivations and intentions. Intentions are what we plan on doing and would like to do, but motivations are why we do them. Therefore, motivations are much deeper than our intentions, for they guide us by a more rigid principle than do our daily intentions. Intentions are what we would like to do, but motivations are why we do the things we do. As we consider Nehemiah 12, I want us to consider the importance of our motivations and how they shape our service to God.

It is quite common for people to be good at starting projects but bad at finishing them. The reason for this is quite simple. It is much easier to intend on finishing a project than it is to be motivated to do so. Real motivation will push us to learn new skills, to persevere, and to invest in our work far more than will mere intentions.

Jules Verne is one of my favorite authors, and his novel Michael Strogoff: The Courier of the Czar exemplifies the importance of motivations over mere intentions. Michael Strogoff had been charged by the Emperor of Russia to smuggle a sealed letter from one side of Russia to the other, including across the challenging geographies of Siberia. His mission was to deliver information necessary to stop a revolution and save Russia. He was a stout and rugged man, one of the most capable in the Czar’s service. His journey would take about 3,200 miles, which is wider than across the entire continental United States. He had every skill needed, being a native of Siberia, but a terrible insurrection had broken out threatening to split Russia in half. At the height of his journey, and I hate to spoil a novel from 1876, he found that spies and traitors had learned of his mission, and captured his mother with the purpose of torturing her to get him to reveal himself.

Michal Strogoff, being at this point trapped among his enemies, found himself unable to bear the sight of his mother’s torturous execution. Revealing himself to save his mother, the traitors resolved to give him a fate worse than death. Feofar Khan, the villain attempting to destroy Russia, had Michael Strogoff’s eyes put out with a hot sword and his sealed letter taken from him to be handed over to the Russian traitors that would use it further their cause of destruction. Every aspect of Michael Strogoff’s intended plan fell apart; moreover, it would seem impossible, after such a horrifying calamity, for a blind man to achieve his goal as courier now that he was both maimed and separated from his letter, with its secret unknown to him.

Yet, He was not merely intending to serve his emperor, for he was motivated to do so. Therefore, through an act of unwavering courage and allegiance to both God and country, Michael Strogoff continued towards his destination with the help of a young lady. A young lady that he had once helped, would now guide him forwards on a seemingly impossible mission. Jules Verne teaches us in this novel, as with many of his others, the truth that service to God is not something reduced to our thoughts and person, but how we navigate life with honor before God. 

Similar to the story of this novel, St Angela Merici, who in the 15th century was known for her work in building schools and orphanages, once took a journey from where she lived in Italy to see the Holy Land, to see the places where Jesus walked. While still in the early stages of her journey, she found that she had become blind. Many of us would think her journey now pointless, since it would no longer be possible for her to see the places she intended to see. However, she was not simply a woman led by intentions. Her journey was not defined by mere intentions of seeing where Jesus walked; rather, she was led by motivations to come near to God. Thus, she kept on with her journey.

She made it to the Holy Land, and walked where Jesus walked, even though she was unable to see with her eyes. Her pilgrimage was true and her goal realized, even though her eyesight was gone. This is what real motivation looks like, it is the drive to continue in service to God despite the shortcomings of our intentions.

If we are simply relying on intentions and intentionality, we will often find ourselves losing energy when our plans fall apart. However, if we are motivated to the higher matters of God, we will find ourselves doing things we might never expect. Motivations will take us much further than will intentions, and motivations are much better predictors of our actions than are our intentions.

This is one of the reasons why motivations are much more important than intentions. The reason why we do things will have a larger impact on what we ultimately do than will our thoughts on what we would like to happen. In government, we regularly find people pushing for policies to solve a problem that actually make the problem worse. When this happens, people will often refer to their good intentions, and will then continue down a destructive pathway by shifting focus to the “good intentions” rather than changing course. This is why God commands us to have no other gods before Him, meaning we have no other moral authorities, motivations, or obligations that exceed our service to Him. God Himself is truth, and just as His laws of physics and mathematics bind together creation, so will His wisdom keep us on the straight and narrow; even, and especially, when His wisdom is in conflict with our desires of what we would like to happen. 

Motivations will have us correct our course if things go awry, whereas, intentions do not. If people fail to satisfy the goal of their motivations by means of a certain route, they will modify their actions accordingly. However, intentions do not require this. Even in the face of failure, if people are only serving intentions, they will feel no need to change course because they consider that they have already been sufficiently good. Since they consider their intentions good, they feel as if they have satisfied the virtue of good, and therefore have absolutely no need to modify their behavior. 

Nehemiah is motivated to serve God; moreover, just as God is holy and excellent Nehemiah must be holy and excellent. Just as God put in the work to speak creation into existence, Nehemiah is reflecting his creator by restoring the symbols of God’s covenant.  As a result, God’s people find themselves in joyous celebration as they hold a ceremony dedicating the city wall. This is not one of the routine holidays that one might observe annually and without the once-in-a-lifetime expressions found in a moment of unique achievement. This is a pinnacle moment of recognizing the truth, goodness, and beauty of living in God’s Kingdom. It requires endurance and willingness to overcome. It requires fear of God and God alone, recognizing that there is more to the world than what is immediately before our eyes. 

This chapter reminds us that it is good to achieve. Moreover, it is good to celebrate achievements and recognize that as creatures made in the Image of God we were designed to realize great and noble achievements. It is a work of the darkness to fool us into a false humility where we degrade ourselves for the purpose of degradation and do nothing but ebb away in pits of despair. 

Throughout the course of Scripture we find that our God is motivated towards achievement. Christ did not submit Himself to human existence for any small motivation; no, He died in order that He would conqueror death in an eternal victory for life. Jesus does not approach the woman at the well so that He may meet her in her sin and they remain there together, but that she might rise with Him above her own faults. Jesus did not eat with sinners and tax collectors that they might go on sinning and tax collecting, but that they might rise up from the pits of society to be righteous role models who heal the sick, raise the dead, cast out the demons and proclaim the Good News that can liberate all. God is a God of excellence, and we must never forget it. 

Our nation is possessed by a spirit with which people are motivated to tear everything down and refashion society according to their designs. This is basic idolatry; meaning, it is the simple exercise of exerting one’s person as the ultimate moral authority. This is not even a complex idolatry, if such a thing could exist, but the same self indulgent processes simply recurring in our modern time.

Paul states his motivations in Philippians 3:10-12, saying 10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, 11 if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead. 12 Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.  Paul’s motivation is true service to Christ Jesus, who is, quite literally and mysteriously, the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Paul’s motivations are neither secret nor to remain his own, for he desires that all might walk with him on the Way of Life. 

If we go to Philippians 4:4-8, Paul then elaborates on what this motivation looks like in real life by saying, 4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5 Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. 6 Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Paul is not giving them details on how they might organize a church service, but how they should structure their entire lives. When you are making dye, doing carpentry work, laboring in a field, or whatever it may be, you must excel with noble conduct, for your God is one of noble conduct.

In Nehemiah 12 we see a pinnacle moment of dedication along with the fruits of long labor. This moment was not achieved by mere intentions or intentionality, but by motivation towards what is true and noble. It required ingenuity and a willingness to rise to the occasion of doing things one had never before done. It required creativity and a willingness to get dirty in both battle and labor, while firmly saying “no” to those that are motivated by destruction. Let us consider our motivations, and how we might better serve God by focusing on why we do things and not merely what we would like to do. 

[dfroza]

A point of change.

(of metamorphosis)

is what baptism points to. rebirth. renewing the heart & mind.

this is the True message of grace that is being offered to us by our Creator, and we see its genesis in Today’s reading from chapter 3 in the ancient book of Luke that points to the True illumination of the Son:

A powerful message from God came to John, Zechariah’s son, when he was living out in the lonely wilderness. This prophetic commission came to John during the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, son of Caesar. Pontius Pilate was governor over Judea at that time. Antipas, son of Herod, was governor over Galilee, Herod’s brother Philip was over the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was over Abilene. This happened during the days of two high priests, Annas and Caiaphas.

John went preaching and baptizing throughout the Jordan Valley. He persuaded people to turn away from their sins and turn to God for the freedom of forgiveness.

This was to fulfill what was written in the book of the prophet Isaiah:

“Listen! You will hear a thunderous voice in the lonely wilderness telling you to wake up and get your heart ready for the coming of the Lord Jehovah. Every twisted thing in your lives must be made straight. Every dark way must be brought to the light. Wrongs righted. Injustices removed. Every heart of pride will be humbled low before him. Every deception will be exposed and replaced by the truth so that everyone everywhere will be ready to see the Life of God!”

John kept preaching to the many crowds who came out to be baptized, “You are nothing but the offspring of poisonous snakes, full of deception! Have you been warned to repent before the coming wrath of God? Then turn away from your sins, turn to God, and prove it by a changed life. Don’t think for a moment that it’s enough to simply be the favored descendants of Abraham. That’s not enough to save you. I’m telling you, God could make more sons of Abraham out of stones if he chose to!

“Even now God’s axe of judgment is poised to chop down your barren tree right down to its roots! And every tree that does not produce good fruit will be leveled and thrown into the fire.”

The crowd kept asking him, “What then are we supposed to do?”

John told them, “Give food to the hungry, clothe the poor, and bless the needy.”

Even the despised tax collectors came to John to be baptized, and they asked him, “What are we to do to prove our hearts have changed?”

“Be honest,” he replied. “Don’t demand more taxes than what you are required to collect.”

“And us?” asked some soldiers. “What about us?”

John answered them, “Be content with what you earn. Never extort money or terrify others by threats of violence or be guilty of accusing the innocent.”

During those days, everyone was gripped with messianic expectations, believing the Messiah could come at any moment, and many began to wonder if John might be the Christ.

But John made it clear by telling them, “There is one coming who is mightier than I. He is supreme. In fact, I’m not worthy of even being his slave. I can only baptize you in this river, but he will baptize you into the Spirit of holiness and into his raging fire. He has in his hands a winnowing fork to clean up his threshing floor! He will separate the wheat from the chaff. The wheat he will gather into his barn, but he will burn the chaff in a fire that no one can ever put out!”

John used many similar warnings as he preached the good news and prepared the people. He even publicly rebuked Antipas, son of Herod, the governor of Galilee, for the many wicked things he had done. He fearlessly reprimanded him for seducing and marrying his sister-in-law, Herodias.

Adding to his many other sins, Herod had John seized and locked up in prison.

One day Jesus came to be baptized along with all the others. As he was consumed with the spirit of prayer, the heavenly realm ripped open above him and the Holy Spirit descended from heaven in the visible, tangible form of a dove and landed on him. Then God’s audible voice was heard, saying, “My Son, you are my beloved one. Through you I am fulfilled.”

[The Ancestry of Jesus Christ]

Jesus, assumed to be Joseph’s son, was about thirty years old when he began his ministry. Here are the names of Mary’s ancestors, from her father traced all the way back to Adam:

Eli, Matthat, Levi, Melki, Jannai, Joseph, Mattathias, Amos, Nahum, Esli, Naggai, Maath, Mattathias, Semein, Josech, Joda, Joanan, Rhesa, Zerubbabel, Shealtiel, Neri, Melchi, Addi, Cosam, Elmadam, Er, Joshua, Eliezer, Jorim, Matthat, Levi, Simeon, Judah, Joseph, Jonam, Eliakim, Melea, Menna, Mattatha, Nathan, David, Jesse, Obed, Boaz, Salmon, Nahshon, Amminadab, Admin, Arni, Hezron, Perez, Judah, Jacob, Isaac, Abraham, Terah, Nahor, Serug, Reu, Peleg, Eber, Shelah, Kenan, Arphaxad, Shem, Noah, Lamech, Methuselah, Enoch, Jared, Mahalaleel, Cainan, Enos, Seth, and Adam, who was created by God.

The Book of Luke, Chapter 3 (The Passion Translation)

Today’s paired chapter of the Testaments is the closing chapter in the book of Deuteronomy:

Moses climbed up from the plains of Moab to the top of Mount Nebo, to the peak at Mount Pisgah on the east side of the Jordan River across from Jericho. The Eternal showed him the whole land that would be Israel’s territory: Gilead as far as Dan, all of Naphtali, the territory of Ephraim and Manasseh, all of Judah’s territory to the Mediterranean Sea in the west, the southern desert, and the basin in the valley of Jericho, the “city of palms,” as far as Zoar.

Eternal One (to Moses): This is the land I promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob when I told them, “I’ll give it to your descendants.” I’ve let you see it, even though you won’t be going into it.

So Moses, the Eternal’s servant, died there in the land of Moab, just as the Eternal had said. He buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth-peor, but to this day no one knows where his grave is. Moses was 120 years old when he died, but his eyesight hadn’t failed and his strength hadn’t diminished. The children of Israel stayed in the plains of Moab and mourned for Moses for 30 days, until the grieving period was over.

Now Joshua (Nun’s son) was filled with a spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on this successor. The children of Israel obeyed Joshua, and they did what the Eternal had commanded Moses. Since then there’s never been another prophet in Israel like Moses. The Eternal knew him face-to-face! No one has ever done anything like the amazing things the Eternal sent Moses to do in the land of Egypt to demonstrate His reality and power to Pharaoh and his servants and his whole country. And no one has shown such great power or done such terrifying things as everyone in Israel saw Moses do.

The Book of Deuteronomy, Chapter 34 (The Voice)

my personal reading of the Scriptures for Saturday, August 1 of 2020 with a paired chapter from each Testament along with Today’s Psalms and Proverbs

Today’s message by the ICR

August 1, 2020

Those Whom God Calls Fools

“Do ye thus requite the LORD, O foolish people and unwise? is not he thy father that hath bought thee? hath he not made thee, and established thee?” (Deuteronomy 32:6)

This rebuke was by Moses as he warned the people of God just before their entrance into the Promised Land. It contains the first use of the Hebrew nabal (translated “fool” or “foolish”) in the Bible. Here it is applied to God’s chosen people after they had been redeemed out of Egyptian slavery by God. This implies that the most foolish of all people are those who have known about God and His great salvation and yet have turned away from His Word.

Paul writes in similar scathing terms of those who had known of God’s great deliverance of their fathers from the evil world before the Flood and yet then abandoned Him for idolatry. “When they knew God,...their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools” (Romans 1:21-22).

David used the same word about those who decide they can explain things without God, just as many intellectuals in modern America do. “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.…Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread: they have not called upon God” (Psalm 53:1, 4).

Even prophets and preachers can become fools if they follow their own wisdom instead of God’s Word. “Thus saith the Lord GOD; woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!” (Ezekiel 13:3).

Jesus rebuked even those He dearly loved because they were surprised and discouraged when He was crucified. “O fools,” He said, because they had been “slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken” (Luke 24:25). God help us to maintain believing hearts, not foolish hearts, as we serve Him! HMM

[faithfulnews]

John Piper's False Doctrine of Utilitarian Happiness in Worship

Should our worship of God be mainly understood as self-seeking in order to experience pleasure? Recently, Jesse Morales argued in defense of John Piper's doctrine of Christian Hedonism (his full argument is posted following this article in blue text). And Jesse is very much on target in proposing that the concept of Christian happiness needs to be fleshed out. This is perhaps more important now than any other time in history. It's a good idea to break down doctrinal ideas as much as possible for the sake of discerning truth from error as much as is helpful, and I'm thankful for Jesse's interest in clarifying the truth. With all of the devoted followers of John Piper out there, it's a bit surprising how few are interested in discussing and defending his doctrine. The main reason that I published the following argument, as described in a previous post, was to pinpoint error and deny wiggle room for potential sophistry and to invite important discussion. This CHAI argument has yet to be successfully challenged: ARGUMENT AGAINST CHRISTIAN HEDONISM AS IDOLATRY 1. According to the law of identity, "joy in God" is not God, and God is not "joy in God." 2. Seeking as the highest aim anything but God is idolatry. 3. Therefore, seeking joy in God as the highest aim is idolatry. In reply to Jesse's response, he did not deny John Piper's opinion that the prime objective of the Christian life is basically seeking joy in God as the highest aim. This is a repeated central theme in Piper's material. For example, we see in Piper's summary article that I discussed previously this claim: “...we should pursue happiness, and pursue it with all our might.” There is a 2015 video post of Piper's titled, "It Is Right to Live for Maximum Pleasure". A 2017 post titled "Joy is Never Optional" states, "God commands all people, everywhere and in all times, to pursue their maximum pleasure." Piper explicitly requires that our worship of God is based on seeking joy: "Christian Hedonism does not put us above God when it makes the joy of worship its goal." (DG p 95) In addressing the first premise of my Argument Against Christian Hedonism as Idolatry, Jesse summarizes his opinion that it is “misleading” and “questionable” to affirm that the person of God is not the same as “joy in God” because he believes that more emphasis should be placed on His will and His sovereignty: “God cannot exist apart from His will, and “joy in God” is part of his will. So to state that “’joy in God’ is not God” is misleading.” In response to this, I'd like to outline that God's sovereignty is only one of the many perfections of God that identify God's nature and, as Don Stewart urges, it's a mistake to try to focus mainly on one or two attributes of God in worship and in life: "We Cannot Divide God Up Although it is helpful to look at each of the individual attributes of God that Scripture has revealed, we cannot divide God up into a number of different parts. He is a unified being. We should not think of His attributes as separate parts of His being. God's entire being is holy, righteous, all-knowing, everywhere-present, etc." Regarding God's joy, this aspect is never mentioned when God names Himself and defines Himself. Rather, we see agape self-giving love in 1 John 4:8 as the prime characteristic (the opposite of self-seeking eros) and we see in the Old Testament that God self-identifies mainly as “I Am” with qualities of divine altruism and a manifold benevolent nature: “And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, "The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness,” (Exodus 34:6 NIV) Jesse then will attempt to justify the obsession with happiness by claiming that feelings are “more than just an end product” with the implication that justifications he offers will somehow make the ultimate utilitarian view of God acceptable: “Piper, however, sees happiness as more than just an end product or resulting feelings.” It's important to distinguish various aspects of Utilitarianism and not to try to dismiss it too quickly. One definition holds that the "the benefit of a majority" is the goal, while Jeremy Bentham, the founder of utilitarianism, described utility as the sum of all pleasure that results from an action, minus the suffering of anyone involved in the action. If we include God's own eternal pleasure in the sum of all pleasure, then John Piper's philosophy applies to this definition of Utilitarianism because Piper defines the ultimate good as God seeking and obtaining His own maximum happiness. In his book Desiring God, Piper claims that the "chief end" of God is to "enjoy Himself forever." (DG revised p41). This view is incorrect because according to scripture, God does not exist for any ultimate "chief end" but God simply exists as the all-content and non-contingent unchanging "I Am" of perfect self-giving goodness. As designed and created beings, we have a telos, a purpose, but God does not. And if we follow the explicit and narrow objective of Christian Hedonism to seek our own happiness, then we will be living a life of idolatry. When you let all of this sink in, you will hopefully realize why Piper's editing of the Westminster Shorter Catechism was truly an error. We don't actually glorify God "by" seeking and experiencing our personal happiness above all. Rather, enjoying God is one of many aspects by which we can glorify God. Jesse adds to Piper's utilitarian mission towards the chief end of happiness with a layer of supposed pragmatic necessity: “To him it’s an emotion WITH A FUNCTION. That’s why Piper defends that they are not making a god out of pleasure but rather “we all make a god out of what we take most pleasure in”. God designed humans with a need for “happiness”, which is a desire for fulfillment, or satisfaction, or pleasure. We are not complete self-satisfying beings, only God is.” The supposed basis of our obsession with self-interest is that "We are not complete self-satisfying beings, only God is.” First, it does not logically follow from 'We are not fully complete' to 'Our chief end in life is to seek our own personal happiness in God.' Second, scripture actually declares that we are actually complete in Christ in our new nature and in being joined to Christ: "And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power" (Colossians 2:10 KJV). Paul Helm offers a number of criticisms against Piper's utilitarian approach towards God. With its focus on 'a morality of pleasure' being supposedly necessary and yet unmeasurable, "Christian hedonism falls at the first fence, along with its non-Christian cousins." Helm implies that any such moral measuring is essentially not biblical: "Hedonism of whatever kind implies a calculus." As support Jesse offers the following well-known Piperism: “We all make a god out of what we take most pleasure in.” The full related quote by Piper hints at the rationale behind the quote: John Piper's Rationale for Objectifying God Based on Idolatry “We all make a god out of what we take the most pleasure in. Christian Hedonists want to make God their God by seeking after the greatest pleasure — pleasure in him.” An explanation of Piper's argument for objectification and idolatry: If we all have a human tendency to objectify things that are not God and worship them as idols for the sake of our own personal happiness, then it is perfectly valid for us to redirect this tendency towards God and objectify God for the sake of our own personal happiness. Not only is the logic of Piper's rationale flawed, but the advice is directly opposed to prime commands to love the whole person of God with agape love and not to commit idolatry. A careful reader of his work will notice that Piper takes Psalm 37:4 as our supposed greatest command and then rejects what Jesus plainly described as the greatest command, to love God with self-giving agape love with all of our being (Luke 10:27). In other writings, John Piper expresses a very high view of God's erotic love and a low view of agape love to the point wherein he offers the following summary as he discusses a book by Lewis Smedes: “I want to argue that some of Smedes' own insights lead to the conclusion that agapic love as he defines it does not and should not exist in humans and that all our loves are erotic.” To point out all of the problems with Piper's exaltation of eros would be too elaborate for this post. But I would offer this: If the rationale behind your doctrine compels you to directly oppose God's prime commands, then your rationale is flawed. No amount of specious reasoning is going to alter the fact that God's greatest command is to love Him as a complete person (not as a giver of a feeling) with self-giving agape love. And no amount of added points are going to justify a doctrine based on idolatry. Jesse offers a scripture in order to try to validate the objectification of God for pleasure: “For whatever we get happiness from that becomes an object of love. It is similar to Jesus’ statement, “for where your treasure is there is your heart also” (Matthew 6:21).” Jesse here is applying the same type of rationale that Piper uses in his Argument for Objectifying God Based on Idolatry, however, the context of Matthew 6:21 shows that Jesus was not referring to seeking treasures in heaven over and above loving God with agape love as our main objective and main command from Christ, as described in Luke 10:27. I would challenge any Piper follower, and John Piper himself, to present one verse in scripture that actually advises us to objectify the person of God for the sake of pleasure. This is the context of Jesse's reference: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”(Matthew 6:21 NIV)

This brings up another point. John Piper has a tendency to twist the meaning of scripture that does not match his philosophy. Craig W. Booth outlines many examples of Piper's scripture twisting and the censorship of opposing ideas out of scripture references. In a different post I outline how Piper completely distorts Jesus' parable of the treasure hidden in the field: “Piper essentially plays a shell game with Jesus' parable such that the treasure of the kingdom of God, and all that this means, is replaced with the thrill of finding the treasure as being the treasure itself.” (Matthew 6 NIV) The last line of reasoning that Jesse offers is to assert that the human desire to seek happiness above all is the default pattern of human behavior that we cannot avoid or change: “Piper does not see men as autonomous or neutral, he believes man always acts according to his nature to seek happiness.” This is followed by the claim that scripture backs up the view that we are controlled by our humanistic nature to seek happiness above all: “Scripture clearly agrees with this because it is full of appeals to our desire for happiness. God keeps giving promises of rewards, of crowns, of joy, of pleasure, etcetera.” While scripture does indeed compel us to celebrate the gift of happiness and admonishes us to rejoice in God with a healthy sense of joy, there is not one single scripture in the Bible that tells us to seek our own happiness in God above all other desires and above the person of God Himself. Based on how God self-identifies in scripture, the true essence and nature of God are based on agape self-love and benevolent goodness in holiness. And it is with this type of agape love that we are actually commanded to love the person of God above all things. God does not contradict Himself by admonishing us to disobey prime commands. Are we commanded to love and worship all that God is with all that we are? Or are we commanded to seek our joy in God above all? We cannot live as biblical Christians and Christian Hedonists at the same time. In support for the view that the prime commandments actually hold as true and valid, we are admonished in the New Testament to consider ourselves as crucified together with Christ and as new creations in Christ such that we should not live as slaves to any passion or desire that would cause us to sin or commit idolatry. Galatians 2:20 states that we as Christians have been crucified together with Christ and it is no longer we that live but Christ lives that lives in us by faith. If this is true, then it removes one of the main excuses John Piper offers as a basis for his Christian Hedonism. Because of our new nature in Christ, we are no longer slaves to humanistic self-interest in worship. Read Romans 6-8 for a more complete understanding of the crucified life and the true power of life in Christ. A closer look at the paradox of happiness and the teachings of Jesus Christ will help to flesh out the errors of Christian Hedonism. Also, the book “They Found the Secret” is a good read for anyone interested in understanding the power we have as believers as we live the “exchanged life” that Hudson Taylor described: "I am no longer anxious about anything, as I realise this; for He, I know, is able to carry out His will, and His will is mine. It makes no matter where He places me, or how. That is rather for Him to consider than for me; for in the easiest positions He must give me His grace, and in the most difficult His grace is sufficient." While John Piper urges that we are compelled to seek our own happiness above all based on our supposed fixed human nature, the Apostle Paul urged that it is not only possible but necessary for us to reject the imprint of this world and through the empowering of the Holy Spirit to surrender all of ourselves and our lives to God's complete authority and guidance. True worship is essentially based on surrendering our all and giving our all to God as an offering. This is what Paul defines as “true and proper worship” and strongly admonishes for all of us: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:1-2 NIV) A full love for God entails a full surrender to God in the full truth of God through a full relationship with God for the full glory of God. One of the main problems with John Piper's teaching technique is his penchant for presenting false dichotomies. For example, in his book Desiring God he presents a false dichotomy between worship based on cold duty or seeking joy in worship:

"There it is! The feast of Christian Hedonism. How shall we honor God in worship? By saying, “It's my duty”? Or by saying, “It's my joy”?” (DG P. 94)    

The biblical foundation for loving and worshiping God in a healthy and holistic sense is neither mainly a legalistic and cold sense of duty nor a self-interested sense self-gratification. Rather, it is mainly a sense of benevolent agape love that desires to please God as we are filled with God's Spirit of love. This supernatural love that has been poured out into all born-again Christians was described by Paul and is expressed through our thoughts, words, and actions: "And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us." (Romans 5:5 NIV) The fact that we enjoy a love relationship with God does not deny the fact that our highest obligation is towards God and that a deep sense of fidelity towards God is not only allowable but according to the whole of scripture is necessary: "Whatever you do, work at it wholeheartedly as though you were doing it for the Lord and not merely for people." (Colossians 3:23 ISV)

John Piper conflates giving praise with receiving pleasure in his book Desiring God: “This fact—that praise means consummate pleasure and that the highest end of man is to drink deeply of this pleasure—was perhaps the most liberating discovery I ever made.”[DG p.23] Worship in Spirit and in Truth is in a sense altruistic because it is not mainly based on self-seeking and obtaining something from God. The Apostle Paul outlined this in Romans 12:1-2, Philippians 2:17 and 2 Timothy 4:6. In these verses, Paul summarizes how our reasonable worship of God is based on an absolute and unconditional self-surrender and self-giving to God. And this is affirmed again as he is about to die as a martyr. He offers his very life in an act of worship as a libation, a drink offering poured out to God. It's also important to remember that the goodness and rightness of our worship are only possible because it is ultimately based on God working in us and through us. Walter Cantrell summarized an important related point: "What makes us special is that God has chosen to deposit His Infinite Glory into our clay vessels, and whatever we do for Him is a reflection of His greatness and not our own." The most common descriptions of praise and worship in scripture outline the idea of giving something to God, such as our unconditional surrender (Romans 12:1-2), and not mainly receiving something from God. In essence, true worship is more self-giving than self-gratifying. The true and noble worship of God knows no end. Even the elders described in heaven that were given crowns of reward cast these very same crowns as an offering back to their Lord (Revelation 4:10-11).

Because God does not technically need anything it does not logically follow that we should not give of ourselves to God in worship. The giving of ourselves in worship is not contingent upon God's need but is a reflection of God's infinite worth. Worship has a paradoxical nature in that it is both a humble and noble act at the same time: "My heart is stirred by a noble theme as I recite my verses for the king; my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer." (Psalm 45.1 NIV) romaJohn Piper's requirement for self-seeking erotic love in worship is directly opposed to God's main appeal for self-giving agape love in worship that is outlined clearly in many verses: “Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name.” (Hebrews 13:15 NASB)

   These points just touch the surface of what a true and biblical view of what loving and worshiping God entails, but they highlight important central truths that must be reckoned with in order to avoid the types of heresies that are prevalent today. Anyone interested in trying to defend Piper's doctrine in an interactive online debate is welcome to post a response in the comment section. Another argument opposing Piper's doctrine is titled Argument Against Christain Hedonism from Authority. Note: References to Desiring God are from the Revised Version, 2011 Tags: true worship versus false worship, the concept of Christian happiness in worship, John Piper's false doctrine, What is wrong with Piper's Christian Hedonism? John Piper utilitarian ethics, Piper's Utilitarianism, Christian Hedonism criticism critique, Following is Jesse Morales' Full Argument:

Jesse MoralesJanuary 14, 2018 at 5:21 PM

COMPARATIVE THOUGHTS BETWEEN RICK WARDEN AND JOHN PIPER I appreciate the heart of this article by Rick Warden. It aims to counter a perceived error and protect those who might otherwise fall into it. Having grown up as traditional (non Christian Hedonist) Christian prior to learning and appreciating CH I understand where Warden is coming from since I thought the same way. But I have since come to appreciate CH so I believe I can offer some thoughts on it. ABOUT THE ARGUMENT First of all I’d like to comment on the 3-point syllogism offered against Christian Hedonism at the outset. Basically I find that the first premise ("joy in God" is not God) is actually a false premise. God cannot exist apart from His will, and “joy in God” is part of his will. So to state that “’joy in God’ is not God” is misleading and therefore constitutes a false premise, making the argument (though logically valid) questionable. ON HAPPINESS Moving on to the heart of the discussion. What I see as the biggest issue differentiating Warden’s point of view and Piper’s is in the nature of happiness. Warden clearly believe that happiness is to be seen as “an effect”, a benefit, a by-product, merely as an emotion, as in “to feel a feeling”. Viewed as an end product like that, it makes sense that Warden would see pursuing happiness as utilitarian, as using God as means to an end, and ultimately result in idolatry, hence leading to his view that CH is a heresy. So I am finding no fault with his conclusion, however in my opinion, his is an incomplete view of happiness when it is seen only as an emotion to be felt. Piper, however, sees happiness as more than just an end product or resulting feelings. To him it’s an emotion WITH A FUNCTION. That’s why Piper defends that they are not making a god out of pleasure but rather “we all make a god out of what we take most pleasure in”. God designed humans with a need for “happiness”, which is a desire for fulfillment, or satisfaction, or pleasure. We are not complete self-satisfying beings, only God is. We are meant to have an object of happiness or a source of joy. It used to be God until Adam and Eve fell and mankind since becoming “like God” made all other things their source of happiness rather than God. That function to pursue happiness is still there and it is the thing that produces sin in us because we seek for it apart from God. Christian Hedonism comes in and corrects that. It says that scriptures indicate that humans seek happiness by nature, and where we seek happiness from is an INDICATOR of what we love or treasure or value or worship or, in other words, what we make a god out of. For whatever we get happiness from that becomes an object of love. It is similar to Jesus’ statement, “for where your treasure is there is your heart also” (Mat 6:21). So if you pursue happiness in money then you have treasured money and you have made money your god. In his incomplete view of happiness, Warden sees men’s pursuit of happiness as only a “tendency” of humans, but Piper sees it as a function of humans, as God’s design in human beings. Piper does not see men as autonomous or neutral, he believes man always acts according to his nature to seek happiness. Scripture clearly agrees with this because it is full of appeals to our desire for happiness. God keeps giving promises of rewards, of crowns, of joy, of pleasure, etcetera. God created us to be happiness seekers, it therefore makes sense that he appeals to that function and He promises to be the ultimate fulfillment of it as it was meant to be before the fall. Christian hedonism then summarizes into humans, by seeking happiness in God, fulfill their God given function in doing so. Secondly, man rightly makes God as his God when he focuses that pursuit towards Him. It is the pursuit or the seeking of happiness in God that makes God a God to someone. So saving faith is not just the belief of a truth (mental assent) but the seeing of happiness in the truth and pursuing it (emotional trust).

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[tpanan]

My Sunday Daily Blessings

July 2, 2017

Be still quiet your heart and mind, the LORD is here, loving you talking to you...........

Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Roman Rite Calendar)Lectionary 97

First Reading: 2 Kings 4:8-11, 14-16a

One day Elisha came to Shunem, where there was a woman of influence, who urged him to dine with her. Afterward, whenever he passed by, he used to stop there to dine. So she said to her husband, "I know that Elisha is a holy man of God. Since he visits us often, let us arrange a little room on the roof and furnish it for him with a bed, table, chair, and lamp, so that when he comes to us he can stay there."

Sometime later Elisha arrived and stayed in the room overnight. Later Elisha asked, "Can something be done for her?" His servant Gehazi answered, "Yes! She has no son, and her husband is getting on in years." Elisha said, "Call her." When the woman had been called and stood at the door, Elisha promised, "This time next year you will be fondling a baby son."

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 89: 2-3, 16-17, 18-19

"Forever I will sing the goodness of the LORD."

Second Reading: Romans 6:3-4, 8-11

Brothers and sisters: Are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life. If, then, we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him. We know that Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more; death no longer has power over him. As to his death, he died to sin once and for all; as to his life, he lives for God. Consequently, you too must think of yourselves as dead to sin and living for God in Christ Jesus.

Verse before the Gospel: 1 Peter 2:9

Alleluia, Alleluia

"You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation; announce the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."

Alleluia, Allelluia

Gospel: Matthew 10:37-42

Jesus said to his apostles: "Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. "Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and whoever receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man's reward. And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink because the little one is a disciple— amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward."

**Meditation:

Who or what takes first place in your life - in your daily thoughts, cares, and concerns? God has put us first in his thought, care, and concern for our well-being and future. God loved us first and our love for him is a response to his exceeding kindness and mercy towards us. Even while we were hopelessly adrift through our own sinful pride, rebellion and unbelief, he choose to give us his own beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who laid down his life for our sake - to set us free from slavery to sin, Satan, and death.

Proof of God's unfailing love for us There is no greater proof of God's love for us than the free-will offering of his Son who shed his blood for us on the cross. His death broke the curse of guilt and condemnation, and won for us pardon and adoption as beloved sons and daughters of God our Father. Through the victory of his cross and resurrection, the Lord Jesus offers us abundant new life through the gift and power of the Holy Spirit who lives within us.

The love of God comes first The Holy Spirit reveals to us the love of the eternal Father and the eternal Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who come to make their home with us and to unite us in a bond of peace and friendship. That is why the Lord Jesus commanded his disciples to give him their undivided loyalty and love above all else. We owe him a debt of gratitude for what he has done for us. The Lord Jesus  gives us the assurance and promise that he will raise up our mortal bodies to be like his so that we may fully share in his resurrection for all eternity. God has no equal - that is why we owe the eternal Father, Son, and Holy Spirit our undivided loyalty, trust, and obedience. Jesus challenges his disciples to examine who they love first and foremost. A true disciple loves God above all else and is willing to forsake all for the Lord Jesus who calls us to follow him. Jesus insists that his disciples give him the loyalty which is due to God, a loyalty which is higher than spouse or kin. It is possible that family and friends can become our enemies, if the thought of them keeps us from doing what we know God wants us to do.

God's compelling love knows no rival The love of God compels us to choose who or what will be first in our lives. To place any relationship or anything else above God is a form of idolatry. We can allow many different things to take control of our lives and possess us - such as greed and lust for power, possessions, and wealth. But only God's love can set us free to love as he loves - with mercy, kindness, goodness, patience, perseverance, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). The first and great commandment is to love the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Matthew 22:37). If we pursue the love of God and put his kingdom first in our lives, then he will give us everything we need to sustain us now and in the future as well. Who is the Lord and Master of you life?

True love overflows in kindness and mercy towards others True love for God compels us to express charity (merciful deeds of kindness and goodness) towards our neighbors who are also loved by God because he created each of them them in his image and likeness. Mother Theresa of Calcutta once told a marvelous story about a destitute family who had nothing to eat for days. When news of their impoverished condition came to the Missionary Sisters of Charity, Mother Theresa personally went to their home and brought them some food supplies. The mother of the family immediately divided the food in half and carried it off. When she returned, Mother Theresa asked her, “Where did you go?” She gave the simple answer, “To my neighbors, they are hungry also!” Mother Theresa said, “I was not surprised that she gave - poor people are really very generous. I was surprised that she knew they were hungry. As a rule, when we are suffering, we are so focused on ourselves, we have no time for others.” Jesus declared that any kindness shown and any help given to the people of Christ will not lose its reward (Matthew 10:42). Jesus never refused to give to anyone in need who asked for his help. As his disciples we are called to be kind and generous as he is. Jesus sets before us the one goal in life that is worth any sacrifice and that goal is union with God - uniting our heart, mind, and will with his heart and will for our lives. The reward of a life given over to God and obeying his voice is God himself - the source of true peace and joy that lasts forever. Does the love of Jesus Christ compel you to put God first in all you do (2 Corinthians 5:14)?

Sources:

Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner. **Meditations may be freely reprinted for non-commercial use. Cite copyright & source: www.dailyscripture.net author Don Schwager © 2015 Servants of the Word

[joellenat]

Why can't Christians date non-Christians? It's a question that is regularly asked, but not always accurately answered. It confuses, perplexes, and even angers both Christians and non-Christians alike. It sounds elitist, holier-than-thou, and downright condescending. But trust me, it's not meant to be. I'm 28 this year, I'm single, and one of the most common things I hear from my friends goes something along the lines of: "Why so picky? Really must be Christian? If your standard not so high I would introduce you to my friend(s) already la." And while I wholly believe in their well-meant intentions, I think it’s about time someone explained the reason behind this "pickiness", lest it be classified as another irrational, snobbish Christian standard to live by. A long time ago, I went out with someone who, besides not being a Christian, was more or less perfect for me. Perfect in the sense that he was almost exactly like me, we liked the same things, had the same tastes, he knew what kind of stuff I would like, we even supported the same football team… perfect. All except for the fact that he wasn't a Christian. It didn't matter to me at first, but I think all along at the back of my mind, I knew it would be an issue someday. And sure enough, after awhile, I decided I couldn't go on with it anymore, because it was "wrong". And so I broke up with the perfect guy all because he wasn't a Christian. Everyone (including myself, sometimes) thought I was nuts and couldn't for the life of them understand it. I'm not sure he did either, and for that I am the most sorry. But decisions like this do baffle, and so they should and must be clearly explained. While I do want non-Christians to understand this, I am much more concerned about us Christians. Because from the relationships and attitudes I am seeing around me (and sometimes even in myself), we sometimes forget the ‘why’ and get confused trying to do the what. I think the biggest example of this, and I'm not going to sugarcoat it here, is Christians who extend "dating a Christian" to "dating someone whom I will bring to church", "dating someone who is open to Christianity", or "dating someone who calls himself a Christian but hasn't really been to church in a few years". I could go on, but you see my point. To do something like that is to miss the point of wanting to date a Christian in the first place. It's taking God's wisdom and stretching it so we find a loophole. So yes, back to the reasons why Christians shouldn't date non-Christians. There are probably more, but here are four simple ones. You believe in completely, absolutely different things Any committed Christian will know that Christianity is not just a nice little side project that surfaces on Sundays and on Christmas - it involves and demands a total change in worldview, nature, lifestyle, decisions and priorities. It's not an "agree to disagree" kind of difference - like whether Manchester United or Liverpool is better (is there really an argument anyway?), its played out in how you spend your time, money, what you teach your future children, how you deal with hardship... I could go on. Some of these you may or may not have to deal with before marriage, but they will certainly apply after. "Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?" - 2 Corinthians 6:14 Marrying a non-Christian means a lifetime of split loyalties, and a severe endangerment of your relationship with God. One way or another, one relationship (or even both) will have to be compromised. It is never "just dating" I should also clarify at this point that by "dating", I do not mean a casual, just-for-fun romance with no likely future - I mean a relationship entered into with the intention to find out if you are suitable for marriage. "What?!" You say. "I ain't ready for that!" Well then, perhaps you are not ready for dating. Casual dating is usually self-centered and self-serving: it's fun, it makes me happy, who cares what happens in the future? If we know for sure we will never marry said person, then being in a relationship with them is unfair to them as well. As Christians, the most important question we should ask is "Does this make me more like Jesus?" Casual dating, especially with non-Christians, almost certainly does not. Something else just became more important than God I can almost hear the argument being formed right now, that, basically, there is nowhere in the Bible that says it's a sin to date a non-Christian. In fact, the Bible doesn't even talk about dating: so how can we say what God's view is for sure? Even if we gloss over passages like 2 Corinthians 6:14 above which tell us not to "be unequally yoked", common sense and godly wisdom tell us that a close relationship (and if we are dating, it's probably one of the closest relationships we have) with a non-Christian cannot be wise, let alone helpful. If the goal is to be more like Christ, then we are intentionally and knowingly making it harder. "If then you have been raised with Christ... Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God... Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry." – Colossians 3:1-5 When we are willing to jeopardize our relationship with God for anything else - could be career, money, pleasure - then that becomes our idol, no matter how "good" it is in itself. Even a Christian relationship can become an idol if it takes precedence over God. So, even if not explicitly stated as a sin, the fact that we are willing to endanger our faith to cling on to this other person shows our heart's true desires. The joy of having a Christian partner And finally, we have to consider not just the possible pitfalls of dating (and marrying) a non-Christian, but the considerable benefits of dating a mature, growing Christian. "Dating a fellow Christian" is not just fulfilling a ticked box on the checklist of Christian dating, it's having the pleasure of being able to lead or be led by someone you can trust will have God's (and your) best interests at heart, someone who will care for and even nurture your spiritual growth, who will encourage you through Scripture during hard times, who will love you because Christ first loved him/her, who will be someone your kids can model and follow spiritually, and whose true home, like yours, is heaven. "Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised." – Proverbs 31:30 "Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her... so that he might present the church to himself in splendor... that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself." - Ephesians 5:25-28 It's not always natural or easy to look for and desire these things in a relationship when other things like looks, personality and so on have such a magnetic pull - but I'm convinced that these are the most important things to have for the long term. Don't get me wrong, it's not that good chemistry and attraction are not important - they are just not as important as we think. That is not to say that a Christian marriage is short of its share of troubles. No marriage or relationship, Christian or otherwise, is perfect. But that is precisely why we need a spouse that will see and address these imperfections through the light of Christ's perfect love for us. So it is not merely a matter of going to different places on a Sunday morning - it's a matter of ending up in different places for eternity. As a Christian, are you convinced that your salvation and relationship with God is more important than your relationship with anyone else? Are you certain that heaven and hell exist? Do you believe that obedience to God's word sometimes involves things we don't want to do, or don't even understand? Because there is no sitting on the fence - if your answer is yes, then you cannot continue knowingly disobeying God. And, rather more worryingly, if your answer is no, then you might have to ask yourself what you truly believe in. I just want to say that this issue is just one of the many sins that we fall prey to, and that you are not more sinful or a worse Christian just because you are going through this. The Christian life is a constant struggle with sin - and the most alarming part is not when we sin, but when we stop struggling with it altogether, and even try to tell ourselves that it's okay. It wasn't easy for me to write and post this - it actually took me more than a year since drafting it to actually get it out there; because I felt I couldn't do it until I really could come to terms with it. And even as I write this, I still have half a mind to leave it lounging in the 'Drafts' section. It is that hard, and it is that close to my heart. If you are struggling with or facing this issue, I pray you will find the courage to obey God, and the faith to trust that this obedience will not leave you short-changed. Trust me, its something I battle with every single day.

By Cheryl Lee 8 Mar, 2016

[fevie168]

Thursday (October 26): "I came to cast fire upon the earth"

Scripture:  Luke 12:49-53

49 "I came to cast fire upon the earth; and would that it were already kindled! 50 I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how I am constrained until it is accomplished! 51 Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division; 52 for henceforth in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three; 53 they will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against her mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law."

Meditation: Do you want to be on fire for God? Jesus shocked his disciples when he declared that he would cast fire and cause division rather than peace upon the earth. What kind of fire did Jesus have in mind here?

The fire of God's purifying love and cleansing word The image of fire in biblical times was often associated with God and with his action in the world and in the lives of his people. God sometimes manifested his presence by use of fire, such as God's revelation to Moses through the burning bush in the wilderness which was not consumed by the flames (Exodus 3:2). God assured the Hebrew people of his continual presence, guidance, and protection for them through the wilderness for forty years with the pillar of fire by night and a pillar of cloud by day (Exodus 13:21-22). The prophet Elijah called down fire from heaven to reveal God's presence and power and to purify the people of false idols (1 Kings 18:36-39). The image of fire was also used as a sign of God's glory (Ezekiel 1:4, 13) and holiness (Deuteronomy 4:24), his protective presence (2 Kings 6:17), and his righteous judgment (Zechariah 13:9) and holy wrath against sin (Isaiah 66:15-16).

Fire is also a sign and symbol of the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. John the Baptist said that Jesus would baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire (Matthew 3:11-12 and Luke 3:16-17). When the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the disciples at Pentecost "tongues of fire" appeared above their heads (Acts 2:3). We can see from both the Old and New Testament Scriptures that God's fire purifies and cleanses to make us clean (sins washed away) and holy (fit to offer him acceptable praise and worship), and it inspires a reverent fear (awe in God's presence) and respect (obeying and giving God his due) for God and for his holy word.

Loyalty unites - division separates Why did Jesus link fire from heaven with costly division on the earth? Did he expect his followers to take his statement of "father against son and son against father" and "mother against daughter and daughter against mother" literally? Or was he intentionally using a figure of speech to emphasize the choice and cost of following him above all else? Jesus used a typical Hebrew hyperbole (a figure of speech which uses strong language and exaggeration for emphasis) to drive home an important lesson. We often do the same when we want to emphasize something very strongly. Jesus' hyperbole, however, did contain a real warning that the Gospel message does have serious consequences for our lives.

When Jesus spoke about division within families he likely had in mind the prophecy of Micah: a man's enemies are the men of his own household (Micah 7:6). The essence of Christianity is loyalty to Jesus Christ - the Son of God and Savior of the world - a loyalty that takes precedence over every other relationship. The love of God compels us to choose who will be first in our lives. To place any relationship (or anything else) above God is a form of idolatry.

Who do you love first and foremost? Jesus challenges his disciples to examine who they love first and foremost. A true disciple loves God above all else and is willing to forsake all for Jesus Christ. Jesus insists that his disciples give him the loyalty which is only due to God, a loyalty which is higher than spouse or kin. It is possible that family and friends can become our enemies if the thought of them keeps us from doing what we know God wants us to do. Does the love of Jesus Christ compel you to put God first in all you do (2 Corinthians 5:14)?

The Gospel message is good news for those who seek pardon, peace, and the abundant life which God offers us through his Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus offers true freedom to those who believe in him - freedom from slavery to sin, Satan, and the oppressive forces of hatred and evil that can destroy body, mind, and spirit. Do you listen to the voice of your Savior and trust in his word? Commit your ways to him, obey his word, and you will find true peace, joy, and happiness in the Lord your God.

"Lord Jesus, may the fire of your love consume me and transform my life that I may truly desire nothing more than life with you. Fill me with the power of your Holy Spirit that I may always seek to please you and do your will."

Psalm 1:1-6

1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; 2 but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. 3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water, that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. 4 The wicked are not so, but are like chaff which the wind drives away. 5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; 6 for the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

Daily Quote from the early church fathers: The fire of the Gospel and being baptized in the Holy Spirit, by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD)

"We affirm that the fire that Christ sent out is for humanity's salvation and profit. May God grant that all our hearts be full of this. The fire is the saving message of the Gospel and the power of its commandments. We were cold and dead because of sin and in ignorance of him who by nature is truly God. The gospel ignites all of us on earth to a life of piety and makes us fervent in spirit, according to the expression of blessed Paul (Romans 12:11). Besides this, we are also made partakers of the Holy Spirit, who is like fire within us. We have been baptized with fire and the Holy Spirit. We have learned the way from what Christ says to us. Listen to his words: 'Truly I say to you, that except a man be born of water and spirit, he cannot see the kingdom of God' (John 3:5). It is the divinely inspired Scripture's custom to give the name of fire sometimes to the divine and sacred words and to the efficacy and power which is by the Holy Spirit by which we are made fervent in spirit." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 94)

[godsizemylife-blog]

I’m thinking about the misguided advice in Marabel Morgan’s 1974 book Total Woman, which came out in 1974. Those were the days of tumult over feminism versus traditional womanhood, both rather muddled and culturally driven concepts. Quite a few of us young military wives on the base read that book, touted as it was as a Christian perspective, and young and naive as we were, I know some of my friends and I adopted some of her suggestions. But the book always smacked a bit to me of manipulation. Responding to a nudge today, I looked her up on Wikipedia, and this is a quote they had from her book, and reading it now makes me shudder at the downright ungodliness, not of her suggestions in and of themselves, but of the motivation behind them:

“It taught that “A Total Woman caters to her man’s special quirks, whether it be in salads, sex or sports,”[2] and is perhaps best remembered for instructing wives to greet their man at the front door wearing sexy outfits; suggestions included “a cowgirl or a showgirl.” “It’s only when a woman surrenders her life to her husband, reveres and worships him and is willing to serve him, that she becomes really beautiful to him,” Morgan wrote.

So … my husband is so brain-dead and flagrantly self-indulgent that the only way I can appear beautiful to him is if I make myself scantily clad slave Princess Leia on a chain to Jabba the Hut? I remember something in the book alluding to the way to get your husband to buy you new luggage, or whatever you wanted. Manipulation, idolatry, slavery, groveling, demanding, yech!

Where is true love, loving each other for the person on the inside? Where was Marabel’s truly biblical advice, rather God’s commandment, to worship and revere God alone, and serve God first and before all? Out of loving God, honoring and grateful for the sacrificial love God showed us in Jesus dying on the cross for our sins, we give love to those around us, not to manipulate them or finnagle their love, but to truly love THEM as unique individuals created in God’s image, valuable because they are, and loved by God. I was willing to serve my husband, but not willing to enable or encourage him to do what God’s Word calls sin. I’m sorry, Marabel, but If personal integrity made me “unattractive” to him, then was his love truly love, or was it also self-driven manipulation for selfish motives?

The Bible’s ”poster girl” for self-driven unscrupulous manipulation is Queen Jezebel. From her example, her name now means a conniving, seductive, manipulative woman.

King Ahab, indifferent to God’s commands to only marry a Jewish woman who worshiped God Almighty so he would not be led to worship false gods, married a foreign woman who worshipped other gods than the God of Israel, Yahweh, Olam El, the Lord God Almighty. Here is a summary of Jezebel’s life, from https://www.thoughtco.com/who-was-jezebel-2076726

“Jezebel‘s story is recounted in 1 Kings and 2 Kings, where she is described as a worshiper of the god Ba’al and the goddess Asherah — not to mention as an enemy of God’s prophets. As King Ahab’s wife, Jezebel mandated that her religion should be the national religion of Israel and organized guilds of prophets of Ba’al (450) and Asherah (400).

As a result, Jezebel is described as an enemy of God who was “killing off the Lord’s prophets” (1 Kings 18:4).  In response, the prophet Elijah accused King Ahab of abandoning the Lord and challenged Jezebel’s prophets to a contest. (Elijah and the One True God won the contest, and fire from Heaven burned up the prophets of Ba’al)

Although Jezebel was one of King Ahab’s many wives, 1 and 2 Kings make it apparent that she wielded a considerable amount of power. The earliest example of her influence occurs in 1 Kings 21, when her husband wanted a vineyard belonging to Naboth the Jezreelite. Naboth refused to give his land to the king because it had been in his family for generations. In response, Ahab became sullen and upset. When Jezebel noticed her husband’s mood, she inquired after the cause and decided to get the vineyard for Ahab. She did so by writing letters in the king’s name commanding the elders of Naboth’s city to accuse Naboth of cursing both God and his King. The elders obliged and Naboth was convicted of treason, then stoned. Upon his death, his property reverted to the king, so in the end, Ahab got the vineyard he wanted.

At God’s command, the prophet Elijah then appeared before King Ahab and Jezebel, proclaiming that because of their actions, “This is what the Lord says: In the place where dogs licked up Naboth’s blood, dogs will lick up your blood — yes, yours!” (1 Kings 21:17).

Elijah’s prophesy at the end of the narrative of Naboth’s vineyard comes true when Ahab dies in Samaria and his son, Ahaziah, dies within two years of ascending the throne. He is killed by Jehu, who emerges as another contender for the throne when the prophet Elisha declares him King. … According to 2 Kings 9:30-34, Jezebel and Jehu meet soon after the death of her son Ahaziah. When she learns of his demise, she puts on makeup, does her hair, and looks out a palace window only to see Jehu enter the city. She calls to him and he responds by asking her servants if they are on his side. “Who is on my side? Who?” he asks, “Thrown her down!” (2 Kings 9:32).

Jezebel’s eunuchs then betray her by throwing her out the window. She dies when she hits the street and is trampled by horses.”

Uh, it’s clear to me that God is serious about being the one and only object of our worship, reverence, and first obedience. Bad things happen when we put anyone or anything else on the “throne” of our lives! And no, God is NOT a narcissist; God is the Creator, Author of the Universe, Holy, Good, Righteous, Merciful, Powerful, Authority, Kind, Just, and Loving, all together and no aspect of His character ruling out the others.

You open Your hand And satisfy the desire of every living thing. The LORD is righteous in all His ways And kind in all His deeds. The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth.…Psalm 145:16-18

Righteous and Kind, Just and Merciful, Holy. Here are clear directives from the Bible on Who is to come first in our lives:

And he (Satan) led Him (Jesus) up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, “I will give You all this domain and its glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. “Therefore if You worship before me, it shall all be Yours.” Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD AND SERVE HIM ONLY.’” Away from me, Satan!” Jesus declared. “For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.'”

… Luke 4: 5-8, 10

“I am the LORD your God. You shall have no other gods before Me.” Exodus 20: 3

“You shall fear only the LORD your God; and you shall worship Him and swear by His name. Deuteronomy 6:13

–for you shall not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God—Exodus 34:14

“You shall fear only the LORD your God; and you shall worship Him and swear by His name. “You shall not follow other gods, any of the gods of the peoples who surround you,” Exodus 6: 13-14

Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, “If you return to the LORD with all your heart, remove the foreign gods and the Ashtoreth from among you and direct your hearts to the LORD and serve Him alone; and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.” 1 Samuel 7: 3

For great is the LORD and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are idols, But the LORD made the heavens. Psalm 96: 4-5

“But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. John 4: 23

For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2: 9-11

Yes, I am to love my husband and respect him. Equally true, my husband is to love and respect me as his wife. Mutually we submit ourselves and our wills to God and what He wants for our marriage and family. That’s the way God intended marriage to reflect His unity, integrity and upright love that calls the beloved to purity and righteousness.

“Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped… Philippians 2: 3-8

So Marabel, no; husbands should not seek to be revered and worshiped and served, but as Jesus showed us all to serve one another out of humility and giving love, and wives should do the same.

https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/all-women-bible/Jezebel-No-1

No matter from what angle we approach the life of Jezebel she stands out as a beacon to both nations and individuals that the wages of sin is death. Further, from this great tragic figure of literature and of history we learn how important it is for the influence of a wife and mother to be on the side of all that is good and noble.

If I truly love another person, I ought to be about encouraging and enabling the best, truest, noblest, most upright, God-honoring choices and attitudes in them. I go back to 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7 to the definition of genuine love: Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.

So, Truly Total Woman, honor and worship God first, and your respect and love for you husband will fall into proper place. Total Husbands, same goes for you. Total Singles, same thing: call forth, encourage, support and enable the best and truest, most righteous and kind and good in others. That’s what we all should be about, regardless of relationship to each other.

      Marabel or Jezebel Or God’s Total Woman? I'm thinking about the misguided advice in Marabel Morgan's 1974 book Total Woman, which came out in 1974.

[tj-van-heerden]

Righteousness and sin in the NT (1Cor)

1Cor 1:7-8 [WEB] 7 so that you come behind in no gift; waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ; 8 who will also confirm you until the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1Cor 1:10-11 10 Now I beg you, brothers, through the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfected together in the same mind and in the same judgment. 11 For it has been reported to me concerning you, my brothers, by those who are from Chloe’s household, that there are contentions among you.

1Cor 1:18 For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are dying, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

1Cor 1:21 For seeing that in the wisdom of God, the world through its wisdom didn’t know God, it was God’s good pleasure through the foolishness of the preaching to save those who believe.

1Cor 1:27-29 27 but God chose the foolish things of the world that he might put to shame those who are wise. God chose the weak things of the world that he might put to shame the things that are strong. 28 God chose the lowly things of the world, and the things that are despised, and the things that don’t exist, that he might bring to nothing the things that exist, 29 that no flesh should boast before God.

1Cor 1:30-31 30 Because of him, you are in Christ Jesus, who was made to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption: 31 that, as it is written, “He who boasts, let him boast in the Lord.”

1Cor 2:4-6 4 My speech and my preaching were not in persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 that your faith wouldn’t stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. 6 We speak wisdom, however, among those who are full grown, yet a wisdom not of this world nor of the rulers of this world who are coming to nothing.

1Cor 2:9 But as it is written, “Things which an eye didn’t see, and an ear didn’t hear, which didn’t enter into the heart of man, these God has prepared for those who love him.”

1Cor 2:12 But we received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is from God, that we might know the things that were freely given to us by God.

1Cor 2:14 Now the natural man doesn’t receive the things of God’s Spirit, for they are foolishness to him, and he can’t know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

1Cor 2:16 “For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he should instruct him?” But we have Christ’s mind.

1Cor 3:3 for you are still fleshly. For insofar as there is jealousy, strife, and factions among you, aren’t you fleshly, and don’t you walk in the ways of men?

1Cor 3:10-16 10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another builds on it. But let each man be careful how he builds on it. 11 For no one can lay any other foundation than that which has been laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 But if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or stubble, 13 each man’s work will be revealed. For the Day will declare it, because it is revealed in fire; and the fire itself will test what sort of work each man’s work is. 14 If any man’s work remains which he built on it, he will receive a reward. 15 If any man’s work is burned, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved, but as through fire. 16 Don’t you know that you are a temple of God, and that God’s Spirit lives in you? 17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is holy, which you are.

1Cor 4:5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each man will get his praise from God.

1Cor 4:20 For God’s Kingdom is not in word, but in power.

1Cor 5:1-2 1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles, that one has his father’s wife. 2 You are arrogant, and didn’t mourn instead, that he who had done this deed might be removed from among you.

1Cor 5:4-5 4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, you being gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, 5 are to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

1Cor 5:8 Therefore let’s keep the feast, not with old yeast, neither with the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

1Cor 5:9-11 9 I wrote to you in my letter to have no company with sexual sinners; 10 yet not at all meaning with the sexual sinners of this world, or with the covetous and extortionists, or with idolaters; for then you would have to leave the world. 11 But as it is, I wrote to you not to associate with anyone who is called a brother who is a sexual sinner, or covetous, or an idolater, or a slanderer, or a drunkard, or an extortionist. Don’t even eat with such a person.

1Cor 5:12-13 12 For what do I have to do with also judging those who are outside? Don’t you judge those who are within? 13 But those who are outside, God judges. “Put away the wicked man from among yourselves.”

1Cor 6:1 Dare any of you, having a matter against his neighbor, go to law before the unrighteous, and not before the saints?

1Cor 6:6 But brother goes to law with brother, and that before unbelievers!

1Cor 6:9-11 9 Or don’t you know that the unrighteous will not inherit God’s Kingdom? Don’t be deceived. Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor male prostitutes, nor homosexuals, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor slanderers, nor extortionists, will inherit God’s Kingdom. 11 Some of you were such, but you were washed. But you were sanctified. But you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and in the Spirit of our God.

1Cor 6:12 “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are expedient. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be brought under the power of anything.

1Cor 6:15-17 15 Don’t you know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? May it never be! 16 Or don’t you know that he who is joined to a prostitute is one body? For, “The two”, he says, “will become one flesh.” 17 But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit.

1Cor 6:18-20 18 Flee sexual immorality! “Every sin that a man does is outside the body,” but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. 19 Or don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

1Cor 7:3-5 3 Let the husband give his wife the affection owed her, and likewise also the wife her husband. 4 The wife doesn’t have authority over her own body, but the husband. Likewise also the husband doesn’t have authority over his own body, but the wife. 5 Don’t deprive one another, unless it is by consent for a season, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer, and may be together again, that Satan doesn’t tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

1Cor 7:10-11 10 But to the married I command—not I, but the Lord—that the wife not leave her husband 11 (but if she departs, let her remain unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband), and that the husband not leave his wife.

1Cor 7:15 Yet if the unbeliever departs, let there be separation. The brother or the sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God has called us in peace.

1Cor 7:39 A wife is bound by law for as long as her husband lives; but if the husband is dead, she is free to be married to whomever she desires, only in the Lord.

1Cor 10:7-11 7 Don’t be idolaters, as some of them were. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.” 8 Let’s not commit sexual immorality, as some of them committed, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell. 9 Let’s not test Christ, as some of them tested, and perished by the serpents. 10 Don’t grumble, as some of them also grumbled, and perished by the destroyer. 11 Now all these things happened to them by way of example, and they were written for our admonition, on whom the ends of the ages have come.

1Cor 10:12-13 12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands be careful that he doesn’t fall. 13 No temptation has taken you except what is common to man. God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted above what you are able, but will with the temptation also make the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

1Cor 10:14 Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.

1Cor 10:16-17 16 The cup of blessing which we bless, isn’t it a sharing of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, isn’t it a sharing of the body of Christ? 17 Because there is one loaf of bread, we, who are many, are one body; for we all partake of the one loaf of bread.

1Cor 10:20-23 20 But I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons, and not to God, and I don’t desire that you would have fellowship with demons. 21 You can’t both drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You can’t both partake of the table of the Lord and of the table of demons. 22 Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he? 23 “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are profitable. “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things build up.

1Cor 10:24 Let no one seek his own, but each one his neighbor’s good.

1Cor 10:28-29 28 But if anyone says to you, “This was offered to idols,” don’t eat it for the sake of the one who told you, and for the sake of conscience. For “the earth is the Lord’s, with all its fullness.” 29 Conscience, I say, not your own, but the other’s conscience. For why is my liberty judged by another conscience?

1Cor 11:3 But I would have you know that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.

1Cor 11:7-9 7 For a man indeed ought not to have his head covered, because he is the image and glory of God, but the woman is the glory of the man. 8 For man is not from woman, but woman from man; 9 for man wasn’t created for the woman, but woman for the man.

1Cor 11:11-12 11 Nevertheless, neither is the woman independent of the man, nor the man independent of the woman, in the Lord. 12 For as woman came from man, so a man also comes through a woman; but all things are from God.

1Cor 11:14-15 14 Doesn’t even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him? 15 But if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her, for her hair is given to her for a covering.

1Cor 11:18-19 18 For first of all, when you come together in the assembly, I hear that divisions exist among you, and I partly believe it. 19 For there also must be factions among you, that those who are approved may be revealed among you.

1Cor 11:20-22 20 When therefore you assemble yourselves together, it is not the Lord’s supper that you eat. 21 For in your eating each one takes his own supper first. One is hungry, and another is drunken. 22 What, don’t you have houses to eat and to drink in? Or do you despise God’s assembly and put them to shame who don’t have enough? What shall I tell you? Shall I praise you? In this I don’t praise you.

1Cor 11:23-26 23 For I received from the Lord that which also I delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night in which he was betrayed took bread. 24 When he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “Take, eat. This is my body, which is broken for you. Do this in memory of me.” 25 In the same way he also took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink, in memory of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

1Cor 11:27-34 27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks the Lord’s cup in a way unworthy of the Lord will be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread, and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy way eats and drinks judgment to himself if he doesn’t discern the Lord’s body. 30 For this cause many among you are weak and sickly, and not a few sleep. 31 For if we discerned ourselves, we wouldn’t be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are punished by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world. 33 Therefore, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another. 34 But if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, lest your coming together be for judgment. The rest I will set in order whenever I come.

1Cor 12:3 Therefore I make known to you that no man speaking by God’s Spirit says, “Jesus is accursed.” No one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” but by the Holy Spirit.

1Cor 12:4-11 4 Now there are various kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are various kinds of service, and the same Lord. 6 There are various kinds of workings, but the same God, who works all things in all. 7 But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the profit of all. 8 For to one is given through the Spirit the word of wisdom, and to another the word of knowledge, according to the same Spirit; 9 to another faith, by the same Spirit; and to another gifts of healings, by the same Spirit; 10 and to another workings of miracles; and to another prophecy; and to another discerning of spirits; to another different kinds of languages; and to another the interpretation of languages. 11 But the one and the same Spirit produces all of these, distributing to each one separately as he desires.

1Cor 12:23-25 23 Those parts of the body which we think to be less honorable, on those we bestow more abundant honor; and our unpresentable parts have more abundant propriety; 24 whereas our presentable parts have no such need. But God composed the body together, giving more abundant honor to the inferior part, 25 that there should be no division in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another.

1Cor 12:26 When one member suffers, all the members suffer with it. When one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.

1Cor 12:27-31 27 Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually. 28 God has set some in the assembly: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracle workers, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, and various kinds of languages. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all miracle workers? 30 Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with various languages? Do all interpret? 31 But earnestly desire the best gifts. Moreover, I show a most excellent way to you.

1Cor 13:1-3 1 If I speak with the languages of men and of angels, but don’t have love, I have become sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but don’t have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but don’t have love, it profits me nothing.

1Cor 13:4-7 4 Love is patient and is kind. Love doesn’t envy. Love doesn’t brag, is not proud, 5 doesn’t behave itself inappropriately, doesn’t seek its own way, is not provoked, takes no account of evil; 6 doesn’t rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.

1Cor 14:1-6 1 Follow after love and earnestly desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. 2 For he who speaks in another language speaks not to men, but to God; for no one understands; but in the Spirit he speaks mysteries. 3 But he who prophesies speaks to men for their edification, exhortation, and consolation. 4 He who speaks in another language edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the assembly. 5 Now I desire to have you all speak with other languages, but rather that you would prophesy. For he is greater who prophesies than he who speaks with other languages, unless he interprets, that the assembly may be built up. 6 But now, brothers, if I come to you speaking with other languages, what would I profit you, unless I speak to you either by way of revelation, or of knowledge, or of prophesying, or of teaching?

1Cor 14:9 So also you, unless you uttered by the tongue words easy to understand, how would it be known what is spoken? For you would be speaking into the air.

1Cor 14:12-19 12 So also you, since you are zealous for spiritual gifts, seek that you may abound to the building up of the assembly. 13 Therefore let him who speaks in another language pray that he may interpret. 14 For if I pray in another language, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful. 15 What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also. I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also. 16 Otherwise if you bless with the spirit, how will he who fills the place of the unlearned say the “Amen” at your giving of thanks, seeing he doesn’t know what you say? 17 For you most certainly give thanks well, but the other person is not built up. 18 I thank my God, I speak with other languages more than you all. 19 However in the assembly I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I might instruct others also, than ten thousand words in another language.

1Cor 14:22-25 22 Therefore other languages are for a sign, not to those who believe, but to the unbelieving; but prophesying is for a sign, not to the unbelieving, but to those who believe. 23 If therefore the whole assembly is assembled together and all speak with other languages, and unlearned or unbelieving people come in, won’t they say that you are crazy? 24 But if all prophesy, and someone unbelieving or unlearned comes in, he is reproved by all, and he is judged by all. 25 And thus the secrets of his heart are revealed. So he will fall down on his face and worship God, declaring that God is among you indeed.

1Cor 14:26-32 26 What is it then, brothers? When you come together, each one of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has another language, or has an interpretation. Let all things be done to build each other up. 27 If any man speaks in another language, let it be two, or at the most three, and in turn; and let one interpret. 28 But if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in the assembly, and let him speak to himself, and to God. 29 Let the prophets speak, two or three, and let the others discern. 30 But if a revelation is made to another sitting by, let the first keep silent. 31 For you all can prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be exhorted. 32 The spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets,

1Cor 15:1-8 1 Now I declare to you, brothers, the Good News which I preached to you, which also you received, in which you also stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold firmly the word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to over five hundred brothers at once, most of whom remain until now, but some have also fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all, as to the child born at the wrong time, he appeared to me also.

1Cor 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am. His grace which was given to me was not futile, but I worked more than all of them; yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

1Cor 15:34 Wake up righteously, and don’t sin, for some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame.

1Cor 15:41-44 41 There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory. 42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown perishable; it is raised imperishable. 43 It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. 44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body and there is also a spiritual body.

1Cor 15:50-53 50 Now I say this, brothers, that flesh and blood can’t inherit God’s Kingdom; neither does the perishable inherit imperishable. 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery. We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed. 53 For this perishable body must become imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.

1Cor 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the Lord’s work, because you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

1Cor 16:13-14 13 Watch! Stand firm in the faith! Be courageous! Be strong! 14 Let all that you do be done in love.

1Cor 16:22 If any man doesn’t love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be cursed. Come, Lord!

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The Numerology Of Jesus - 888 And Other Numbers - 777 And 666

In ancient languages ​​like Hebrew and Greek the letters of the alphabet had numerical significations. Totalled the letters that make up Jesus' Name in Greek come to 888!

The number 8 stands for the new beginning, as God took six days to make the world and He rested on the seventh.

7 Is the number of perfection, both of good and evil. Christ Jesus reaches beyond human perfection in that which is good; because He is not only human, but also God.

Triple 8 denotes the divine dimension, as there are three Persons in the Trinity.

In the closing verses of the Song of Songs the beloved wishes that Solomon receives the thousand silver pieces (and that 200 be for the keepers of the fruit). Now, Christ as the true Solomon has received the name above every name. So, on earth He was 888, but now He is 1000. The number 1000 is mentioned both by Job and by Solomon. Job talks about a true advocate or lawyer – one among a thousand – and Solomon speaks of a worthy man in that way. In both cases Christ is meant (Job: I know that my redeemer liveth; Solomon: I have found Messiah, but not a woman).

But in the Song of Solomon, chapter 5. 10, the bride states that her beloved "is lifted up like a banner more than 10,000 [others]." We would say that He is INFINITE. And is He not the Infinite One in Infinitudes for the Church!

The Greek letters of Jesus 'Name come to the numerological value of 888. The jota represents the value of 10, the eta 8, the sigma 200, the omicron 70 and the upsilon 400. Since there are two sigma's in Jesus' Name, this adds up to 888. As in the ancient manuscripts only capital letters, the so-called majuscules (later uncials), were used and no end sigma's, the total does come to 888 and not 694.

Jesus will be imitated by the antichrist who as the false prophet will represent the beast with the apocalyptic number of 666. Jesus is both King and Highpriest and these two functions will be imitated by the two beasts of Revelation ch.13. Whereas Jesus stands for the new beginning and the ultimate measure of divine perfection, the beast will not arrive at anything more but an almost human perfection; 6 being the number of man. In this perfection he will pretend to be divine. Hence the triple six.

What began in human history with the usurper Nimrod will find its climax in the beast. The human being wants to deify himself. For most people this means that they identify with a führer, their star, pop idol, super athlete or whatever. But the Bible says that what is extraordinary ( 'high') with humans is an abomination with God.

Adam and Eve were each 777 in the garden of Eden. This was a stage of perfect equilibrium in every human sense of the way. But it could obviously be upset by evil influences from the outside.

The first human stage of set or fixed perfection must be 888, which is a little lower than the unfallen angels (according to both the OT and the NT the Christ became a little lower than the angels [of course as far as His humanity is concerned ]); who must be 999.

As the greatest philosopher Solomon probably got further than the apostle Paul, at least in certain respects, but further than 666 he did not advance (for it is unlikely that he became equal with our first progenitor, let alone surpassed him; for how did he fall again then !?) Also his annual income was 666 talents of gold, as if with all his wisdom, pomp and circumstance (according to the Christ a simple lily is clothed with greater honor) the whole thing stood in the sign of the beast , negatively spoken of course. For he is also a type of the Christ in the Millennium, Who will be more than just visited by the real spiritual queen of Sheba with all (our) questions for Him (Hallelujah!).

But of course the apostle Paul was the greatest theologian, who had heard unspeakable things in Paradise (which is in the third heaven [the atmosphere with the powers of the air being the first heaven and the universe of the stars being the second heaven]) and who could say of the gospel that it was his (naturally given to him by the Christ). All I want to say is that in true philosophy – the love of wisdom – Solomon surpassed him. Of course as the true theologian Paul stated that Christ became the wisdom of God and so theology surpasses philosophy). But despite all his wisdom Solomon came to offer his semen to the Moloch and ended a disgruntled king that taxed his people financially way too heavily for his personal aggrandizement. Hopefully, but not likely, he wrote the book of Ecclesiastes at the end of his life.

In theory not only Adam and Eve, but also the unelected angels, could have gone on to holiness (just like the elected angels must be doing). There is no blame to be assigned to the Creator here, nor is it so that Adam or Satan had a hidden defect before their respective Falls.

Christ stated that a disciple is not to become more than his teacher (v. Lu. 6.40). Truly bornagain Christians therefore will reach the set stage of 888, a position of human infallibility (of course as far as the human side is concerned. The beloved apostle John wrote also that we will be similar to Him, when He has been manifested to us [in all likelihood when He will spiritually marry the Church just before the Millennium and naturally in heaven]). This will not happen at the rapture and resurrection, as Christians will then invariably have to learn a lot yet.

Of course this does not mean that they can get lost again. This is not even the case before the resurrection. The Scripture verse of the Lord that we will receive in this time a hundredfold, houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, lands with persecutions (as a result of our deeds before); is applicable here. In this time they will find themselves in a state between 777 and 888.

Being immortal and set free from the flesh they will also have 'to carry away both the good and the evil done in the body' to work out up to and including this set stage of 888. And this AFTER the Bema (Judgment) Seat of christ (sic!), (see 2 Cor. 5. 10 on that).

Adam and Eve being 777 in the Garden of Eden became the greatest sinners (the apostle Paul called himself the chief of sinners [probably because he had persecuted the Church]); worse than the beast and the antichrist together. For because of them the entire human race became entangled in a sin filled and broken creation that fell under the power of the devil and his demons (read fallen angels). Corruption of the best becomes the worst. The number 777 before Adam's Fall was a positive number denoting perfect human good, but after his Fall it became a negative number (-777) denoting perfect human evil. The evil of the beast is -666 as to his motivation (and his abilities will be +666). His positive powers in the end are negative as they are motivated by pride and therefore he will choose against the real Christ.

But the Lord covered Adam and Eve with lamb's skins. Now this speaks of Christ as the true Lamb of God. If the greatest sinners can be covered by the precious blood of Christ, then certainly you and me, my friend! Abel, called the first prophet, understood the truth of a substitutional sacrifice, Cain did not. This set the stage for two sorts of humans, the former on their way to heaven, the latter, with their natural religion on their way to hell. The former harbor a personal relationship with God, but the latter can only produce religiosity.

The christian has two natures, viz. the old Adam and the new Christ. Being born out of Christ his new nature is already 888, but he still has his old nature being 666 or even minus 777. Our new nature then, being born out of God, is stronger than our old nature, born out of a fallen Adam (and ultimately out of a fallen Satan [as Christ said to the Pharisees that their father was the devil; this holds for our old nature as well]). One might say that our fallen nature is minus 777 in its godless character, but that its manifestation is 666 at its human best and minus 666 as to its motivation.

The new nature should be fed and the old nature should be starved, the former should live and the latter should be mortified (put to death). The new nature is motivated by the wisdom from above ( 'The wisdom from above then is at first holy, further peaceful, mild, convinceable, full of mercy and good works, unpartisan (or impartial) and not hypocritical' [a perfect set of 7!]), but the old nature is motivated by pride and every possible evil thing appeals to it. Therefore we are to hate our souls in this world, so that we will preserve them. For the members of our soul on earth, that are to be mortified, are adultery, uncleanness, greed (which is idolatry) and so on.

Yet, 'a wise man loves his own soul (and he that treats his body in a reckless and brutish way, is cruel)'. And so, though we are to hate our souls with their sinful members on earth, we are to love our souls in the kingdom of heaven. 'Think on the things that are above, where Christ is; seek the things that are above. ' This makes sense, for we are to hate evil (the evil of the old nature) and we are to love good (the good things of the new nature). This is a paradox (not a contradiction). In the course of our walk on earth our souls learn evil things and these become tentacles on earth ( 'Put to death your members that are on earth.'). Therefore there is a love-hate relationship with ourselves. Solomon said in this context: 'Guard your heart more than anything that is to be guarded, for from it are the sources of life' (or 'from that act of guarding are the sources of life'; both translations are possible). If we do that, then these tentacles can not grow very long and it will be easier to put them to death. In this way we can conquer evil (-777 and -666) through good (888) and we can even attain happiness.

A good friend of mine pointed out to me that as in mathematics a negative number times a negative number equals a positive number, so with the old and new nature. We died in Adam and so became evil (first minus), but then we are to die in Christ to this world ( 'I am crucified to this world and this world is crucified to me'; the second minus). The end result is positive!

Christ's state of ultimate human good (888), to be distinguished from prelapsarian Adamic human good (777) can not be turned into the negative (-888 is absolutely an impossibility). Christians will once be freed from all negative characteristics and will shine as stars in the universe, having Christ's character of 888 !! The beast will be thrown alive into the lake of fire, along with the antichrist (the first is the beast out of the sea (of restless nations) and the second is the beast out of the earth (the nation of Israel). Christ's human side of 888, as said before, is to be distinguished from His divine side (which, of course, we will never attain to; there can only be ONE God), which is an infinitude in infinitudes and at the same time the absolute simplicity of love. 'God is love'. Let us worship Him …

The bible states the following: 'Forming light and creating darkness, making peace and creating evil; I the Lord do all these things. ' Before I enter upon this most difficult subject I want to affirm that God in Christ Jesus is light and life and love and the way (the only way) and the truth. Christ is the morning star that appears when all other stars fade. Therefore He is the only superstar and nobody can come to God the Father but through Him. Why then does it say here that God creates (actually IS in the process of creating [the participle is used]) evil, as if He might be the author of sin? Horrible thought. But it does not say that, most blissfully. It implies that He is the author and source of evil, but not the author of sin. We humans and angels turn evil into sin and so miss the intended goal of our existence. Solomon stated that God decided to dwell in darkness, but it also says that the darkness is light to God. And so, even in the worst evil, God sees something of His own light. This seems to imply that humans and angels are incapable of perverting themselves to such a degree as to drain out anything good (however as far as the old nature, the old Adam, is concerned, we are 100% corrupted). Remember that it says 'the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.' It does not say that it is the tree only of evil.

Having said this I go out of my way to expressly state that I am not advocating some kind of pantheistic notion of good and evil as being two sides of the same coin, as if the divinity is at odds with itself and contradicting itself. It can not be said strongly enough that the godhead is absolutely indivisible. 'Hear Israel, I am ONE.' Even though one might sum up in eternity an infinite array of characteristics of the godhead, at the same time it must be affirmed that the divinity is absolute simplicity. Nor do I propagate the notion of evil being the absence of good (privatio boni), according to scholasticism. Sin, in the end, is the absolute godhating rebellion against anything good in the Lord Jesus Christ. And the bible shows that this is the end of human history as far as sin is concerned.

In Hebrews 1.1 it says that God has finally spoken through the person of His Son the Lord Jesus, who is the effulgence of His glory and the express image of His substance. Both in the OT and the NT there was a progressive revelation taking place. This seems to coincide with God's 'forming light and creating darkness, making peace and creating evil.' Catholic theologians will scoff at me for believing that matter, yes the entire planet earth, and, yes, even the heavens became tainted by the respective falls of the devil and of Adam. But why does Peter state, then, that all the elements will burn up melting and that the earth and all its (evil) works will be found out? Why, actually, will God create a new heaven and earth, if the old one is not so damaged and tainted that it will be rolled up like a mantle? That gnostic sects with their so-called knowledge or science, against which the apostle Paul warns, like the Manichaeans, turn this truth into something desperately foolish and even sinful (as the bible itself states that there were those that perverted the scriptures), that does NOT mean that sin and evil are limited to the will. Also our intellect and even our very bodies are subject to a broken and rebellious world. (But glory be to God that Christ has triumphed over Satan and sin and even death [in principle, as it is the last enemy to be made subject to Christ]).

Satan, as the highest angel, as the covering cherub, was the ultimate show piece of God's creation, according to the relevant scriptures in Ezechiel 28 and Isaiah 14. God even spurs the writer to say that one must take up a dirge for him! After all he was God's most original creation … Further, by the way, the bible states clearly that the lake of fire (the second death as the ultimate hell) was made for the devil and his angels (those that followed him in his rebellion). Thus, eternal hell was made after Satan's fall. And he desires to drag as many people along with him as possible.

And here we tread on occult and perhaps even holy ground. Satan turned evil into sin. He is called by the Lord the murderer of humans and the liar from the beginning (from his fall) and the father of a liar. The Lord also states that he saw Satan fall to earth as a flash of lightning. Yet I dare say that in all this God Himself played the devil to the devil, so to speak. As He that is creating evil, He tested the devil who subsequently fell in hubris and then turned his pride into full-blown sin. Satan did not guard his heart. He looked at his own greatness instead of the infinite greatness of God. And so evil became angelic sin and sinfulness. As said before, Satan was 999 along with all the angels (do not ask me how he could be the highest form of 999; perhaps 999.999 [just joking]). He did not have a disadvantage over against the elected and holy angels. He could have stood firm and triumphant. Did God seduce him then? No, He tested him. As I said, here we tread on occult and even holy ground as far as Satan and God are concerned. The above scripture in which the Lord Himself calls Himself the One in process of creating evil and darkness, is further best left alone, I think. One could involve yet the vision of the prophet Michah in this and the first two chapters of the book of Job, but the hidden things, as it is also written, belong to God! Yet it is obvious from the bible that Satan threw the glove before the holy countenance of the Lord and the Lord in His wisdom took up the challenge. And to his chagrine the devil finds out that time and time again it all works out for the best of those that love God. All ad maiorem Dei gloriam. The devil can not do anything against the express will of the Almighty. Augustine posed that fallen angels are set in their will. That must mean as much that they have no freedom or liberty left (ultimately). But the bible teaches that humans also are bent on evil and sin, since the fall of Adam, through whom sin came into the world. Note, sin and transgression (not evil!) Came into the world through Adam. Sin is lawlessness, according to the apostle John. Evil, in the above verse (Isaiah 45. 7), seems to be some kind of possibility to allow sin. If one watches evil too much, one can become mesmerized and turn it into sin. If one thinks, however, that if one occupies oneself only with good one will win out, then one is bound to become naive. The bible itself is full of evil examples that serve as warnings. Therefore it is of the utmost importance to take every thought captive into obedience to Christ and to break down every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God.

Now as to the other part of this most difficult scripture, viz. 'Forming or shaping light and making peace' we may well wonder whether all things are a form of light !? (Notice that it says 'is [in the process of] forming light'. It does not say that He is creating or has created light!]). God is light, the bible states and since all things are out of Him (not out of nothing, [so-called creatio ex nihilo; see Did God create out of nothing? On this]), one is left wondering whether by some creatio ex illo ipsissimo He has turned and is turning things into light and fire. Angels are called serving spirits of fire and God Himself is called Spirit by the Lord. The bible does state that the earth once consisted in and out of water, but that does not necessarily mean that water could therefore not be a form of light! As to His being in a process of creating darkness; that also can be interpreted as a form of light: as the bible itself says that darkness to God is as light. But let the reader be warned here that the Lord states that sinners shun the light and that the righteous seek the light that their works may be shown to be light!

But, one may ask, why did the Lord create a world with the possibility of so much sin? I believe that if God had been under the obligation to create the best possible world, then He would have been under some kind of determinism greater than Himself. But He is God, that is the very Greatest (omnipotent, omniscient, omnipressnt, all-holy); He can not be subject to something greater. Maybe I am allowed to say that we will enjoy the best possible world in eternity (the new heaven and earth) more, because we had to go through a sinful one. If everything had been perfect from the start, would we have really loved the Lord? Augustine here uses the expression Felix Lapsa ( 'happy Fall'). This goes far in enthusiasm, but is very true. [Evil tongues here may say that this is all evidence for double predestination. See Lapsarianism in another Light to answer to this kind of blasphemy].

Here I also think of scriptures that talk about the visible and invisible things that are respectively temporary and eternal. One may as well state, I think, respectively material and immaterial soul and spirit. God is Spirit. He does not consist, as Tertullian thought, in the finest form of matter, nor are angels material. Humans are both material and immaterial and that makes us unique. Light is both material and immaterial (particles and waves). And that brings us to the number 2, the number of union and division; 1 being the ultimate number of absolute uniqueness. And it brings us to the number 3, the number of stability ( 'a threefold cord is not broken lightly'). Light consists of actinic rays (that serve growth), illuminating and warmth rays; a sort of triune union. But this goes beyond the scope of this study. We refer the reader to the writer FW Grant on various meanings and significances of numbers.

[tpanan]

My Sunday Daily Blessings

September 8, 2019

Be still quiet your heart and mind, the LORD is here, loving you talking to you...........

Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 129

First Reading: Wisdom 9: 13-18b

Who can know God’s counsel, or who can conceive what the LORD intends? For the deliberations of mortals are timid, and unsure are our plans. For the corruptible body burdens the soul and the earthen shelter weighs down the mind that has many concerns. And scarce do we guess the things on earth, and what is within our grasp we find with difficulty; but when things are in heaven, who can search them out?

Or who ever knew your counsel, except you had given wisdom and sent your holy spirit from on high? And thus were the paths of those on earth made straight.

Responsorial Psalm:  Psalm 90: 3-4, 5-6, 12-13 and 17

"In every age, O LORD, you have been our refuge."

Second Reading: Philemon 1: 9-10, 12-17

I, Paul, an old man, and now also a prisoner for Christ Jesus, urge you on behalf of my child Onesimus, whose father I have become in my imprisonment; I am sending him, that is, my own heart, back to you.

I should have liked to retain him for myself, so that he might serve me on your behalf in my imprisonment for the gospel, but I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that the good you do might not be forced but voluntary.

Perhaps this is why he was away from you for a while, that you might have him back forever, no longer as a slave but more than a slave, a brother, beloved especially to me, but even more so to you, as a man and in the Lord. So if you regard me as a partner, welcome him as you would me.

Verse before the Gospel: Psalm 119: 135

Alleluia, Alleluia.

"Let your face shine upon your servant; and teach me your laws."

Alleluia, Alleluia.

Gospel: Luke 14: 25-33

Great crowds were traveling with Jesus, and he turned and addressed them, “If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.

Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.

Which of you wishing to construct a tower does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if there is enough for its completion?

Otherwise, after laying the foundation and finding himself unable to finish the work the onlookers should laugh at him and say, ‘This one began to build but did not have the resources to finish.’ Or what king marching into battle would not first sit down and decide whether with ten thousand troops he can successfully oppose another king advancing upon him with twenty thousand troops?

But if not, while he is still far away, he will send a delegation to ask for peace terms. In the same way, anyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.”

**Meditation:

Why does the Lord Jesus say we must 'hate' our families and even ourselves (Luke 14:26)? In Biblical times the expression 'to hate' often meant to 'prefer less'. Jesus used strong language to make clear that nothing should take precedence or first place over God. God our heavenly Father created us in his image and likeness to be his beloved sons and daughters. He has put us first in his love and concern for our well-being and happiness. Our love for him is a response to his exceeding love and kindness towards us. True love is costly because it holds nothing back from the beloved - it is ready to give all and sacrifice all for the beloved. God the Father gave us his only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who freely offered up his life for us on the cross as the atoning sacrifice for our sins. His sacrificial death brought us pardon and healing, new life in the Spirit and peace with God.

The cost of following Jesus as his disciples Jesus willingly embraced the cross, not only out of obedience to his Father's will, but out of a merciful love for each one of us in order to set us free from slavery to sin, Satan, and everything that would keep us from his love, truth, and goodness. Jesus knew that the cross was the Father's way for him to achieve victory over sin and death - and glory for our sake as well. He counted the cost and said 'yes' to his Father's will. If we want to share in his glory and victory, then we, too, must 'count the cost' and say 'yes" to his call to "take up our cross and follow him" as our Lord and Savior.

What is the 'way of the cross' for you and me? It means that when my will crosses with God's will, then his will must be done. The way of the cross involves sacrifice, the sacrifice of laying down my life each and every day for Jesus' sake. What makes such sacrifice possible and "sweet" for us is the love of God poured out for us in the blood of Christ who cleanses us and makes us a new creation in him. Paul the Apostle tells us that

"God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us" (Romans 5:5). We can never outmatch God in his merciful love and kindness towards us. He always gives us more than we can expect or imagine. Do you allow the Holy Spirit to fill your heart and transform your life with the overflowing love and mercy of God?

The wise plan ahead to avert failure and shame What do the twin parables of the tower builder and a ruler on a war campaign have in common (Luke 14:28-32)? Both the tower builder and the ruler risked serious loss if they did not carefully plan ahead to to make sure they could finish what they had begun. In a shame and honor culture people want at all costs to avoid being mocked by their community for failing to complete a task which they had begun in earnest. This double set of parables echoes the instruction given in the Old Testament Book of Proverbs: "By wisdom a house is built" and "by wise guidance you can wage a war" to ensure victory (Proverbs 24:3-6).

In Jesus' time every landowner who could afford it built a wall around his orchard or vineyard as a protection from intruders who might steal or destroy his produce. A tower was usually built in a corner of the wall and a guard posted especially during harvest time when thieves would likely try to make off with the goods. Starting a building-project, like a watchtower, and leaving it unfinished because of poor planning or insufficient funds would invite the scorn of the whole village. Likewise a king who decided to wage a war against an opponent who was much stronger, would be considered foolish if he did not come up with a plan that had a decent chance of success. Counting the cost and investing wisely are necessary conditions for securing a good return on the investment.

The great exchange If you prize something of great value and want to possess it, it's natural to ask what it will cost you before you make a commitment to invest in it. Jesus was utterly honest and spared no words to tell his disciples that it would cost them dearly to be his disciples - it would cost them their whole lives and all they possessed in exchange for the new life and treasure of God's kingdom. The Lord Jesus leaves no room for compromise or concession. We either give our lives over to him entirely or we keep them for ourselves. Paul the Apostle reminds us, "We are not our own. We were bought with a price" ( 1 Corinthians 6:19b,20). We were once slaves to sin and a kingdom of darkness and oppression, but we have now been purchased with the precious blood of Jesus Christ who has ransomed us from a life of darkness and destruction so we could enter his kingdom of light and truth. Christ has set us free to choose whom we will serve in this present life as well as in the age to come - God's kingdom of light, truth, and goodness or Satan's kingdom of darkness, lies, and deception. There are no neutral parties - we are either for God's kingdom or against it.

Who do you love first - above all else? The love of God compels us to choose who or what will be first in our lives. To place any relationship or any possession above God is a form of idolatry - worshiping the creature in place of the Creator and Ruler over all he has made. Jesus challenges his disciples to examine who and what they love first and foremost. We can be ruled and mastered by many different things - money, drugs, success, power or fame. Only one Master, the Lord Jesus Christ, can truly set us free from the power of sin, greed, and destruction. The choice is ours - who will we serve and follow - the path and destiny the Lord Jesus offers us or the path we choose in opposition to God's will and purpose for our lives. It boils down to choosing between life and death, truth and falsehood, goodness and evil. If we choose for the Lord Jesus and put our trust in him, he will show us the path that leads to true joy and happiness with our Father in heaven.

Sources:

Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

**Meditations may be freely reprinted for non-commercial use. Cite copyright & source: www.dailyscripture.net author Don Schwager © 2015 Servants of the Word