I can—but will it make me feel better ?
I can—but will it make me better ?
I can—but will it do any good ?
I can—but will anybody listen ?
I can—but would I want to listen ?
I can—but does anybody care ?
I can—but maybe I don’t have to ?
I can—but do I have something better to do ?
“I CAN COMPLAIN” ?
December 21, 2023 By Leave a Comment
DECISIONS – – – GOOD AND BAD
December 21, 2023 By Leave a Comment
Sometimes respectable choices, for success, can lead away from God as surely as despicable decisions.
We all need Jesus, equally, whether ‘down and out’ or ‘up and out’.
COMPELLED TO WRITE
December 21, 2023 By Leave a Comment
When God reveals insights into life, history, theology, I must speak up and record, with or without an audience or a response.
I often imagine what a reaction might be someday, but until then I think and write without catering to anyone.
Perhaps that is good, because I tend to be too sensitive about what other people think.
Yet, that very sensitivity drives me to scrutinize my editing for the best communication possible.
And, since my writing also includes volatile subjects, some in real life, I use the following commentary to assuage as well as heighten the seriousness:
“Perhaps the smaller my audience, the longer I’ll live.”
LUTHERANS – – – AND CHRISTIANS
December 21, 2023 By Leave a Comment
(paraphrased repeat of NAME BRAND RELIGION posted over nine years ago)
+ Lutherans have a struggle completely accepting non-lutheran Christians—3.0*
+ Lutherans have a bigger struggle whether they should accept (or even believe) ex-lutheran Christians—6.0*
+ Lutherans can’t relate, can’t cope with ex-lutheran Christian relatives—that’s not allowed, not supposed to happen—10.0*
*theological earthquake scale
. . . BUT GOD . . .
December 13, 2023 By Leave a Comment
Spend some time, unhurried, with the Bible verses that say, “But God”.
DANGER OF ‘DOCTRINE’
December 13, 2023 By Leave a Comment
As soon as we put ‘doctrine’ into words of man, we focus on the human words, and the words of God are downgraded, as ‘proof texts’ for our position.
NOBODY KNOWS, BUT . . .
December 13, 2023 By Leave a Comment
Got trouble ?
Do you instinctively think of what to say to tell someone about your trouble ?
I do.
– – –
+Somebody has to hear about my trouble and understand and help me—at least sympathize with me.
+Sometimes nobody could possibly understand my trouble—so I’m wasting my time and theirs.
+Sometimes there just isn’t anybody there—so NOBODY KNOWS my trouble !
I’m working on changing that default compulsion to tell someone my trouble—to play the speech in my mind—changing that, to this:
(And maybe this will help someone else.)
“Call upon Me in the day of trouble . . .”—practice doing that every time, every trouble, every troubled thought, F I R S T, along with “Be still, and know that I am God.”
Identify the trouble, specifically, in words, to God, and stop there.
WAIT for God, and do what He has given me to do while waiting—without figuring out or second-guessing His solution.
A major fallacy most of us encounter (in our thinking and in others’ expectations) is praying and trying to take care of it ourselves, or just trying to take care of it ourselves.
We miss the experience of God answering our prayer so He gets all the credit, all the glory, not us.
ALL THE GLORY belongs to Him, and He wants us to say so.
And He gets the most glory when we say it out loud to anyone with us, anyone, every time.
Perhaps now we can fully appreciate and practice the command, the promise, the responsibility of this verse (which I am trying to wear out daily):
THE COMMAND
“Call upon Me in the day of trouble . . .”
THE PROMISE
“. . . I will deliver you . . .”
THE RESPONSIBILITY
“. . . and you will glorify Me.”
– – –
A followup question here:
Why the day of trouble in the first place ?
Answer in footnote.*
– – –
“Nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen;
Nobody knows but Jesus.”
– – –
“There’s not a friend like the lowly Jesus,
No, not one ! No, not one !
None else could heal our soul’s diseases,
No, not one ! No, not one !
Jesus knows all about our struggles.
He will guide till the day is done.
There’s not a friend like the lowly Jesus,
No, not one ! No, not one !”
Find over 300 inspiring testimonies on this hymn, many from Nigeria (hotbed of Christian persecution).
Follow this sequence on the internet:
hymnal.net
classic
first lines
J
“Jesus knows all about . . .”
testimonies follow after the lyrics
– – –
“Standing on the promises that cannot fail,
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail;
By the living Word of God I shall prevail,
Standing on the promises of God.”
*You have to admit, God gets our attention in the day of trouble.
Then He has a question,
“Now that I have your attention—how long will I have your attention?”
LIVE _ _ _ _ FREE OR DIE
December 13, 2023 By Leave a Comment
I have recently added to the state motto “Live Free Or Die” for my personal life.
LIVE CARE-FREE OR DIE
I realize there are more things I have to let go—less to worry, and less to think.
The analogy is helpful to compare the mind and emotions to a computer.
There are limitations to multiple files open simultaneously, with hardware and memory upgrades not optional.
Adjusting is not easy, but necessary for survival.
Two back-to-back Bible verses have the secret.
“Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,
Casting all your cares upon Him, because He cares for you.”
How do we humble ourselves ?
By turning everything over to God.
This becomes more vital with increasing age and decreasing ability.
Never too old to learn ?—let go of what I think I have to do, what I think I can do, what just isn’t going to happen (at least not today).
I’ve known “casting all may cares on Him” all my life—now I have to do it in real life if I want to live.
So, carefree—is that what it means—is it possible ?
Not a care in the world—
Just a God-given job/task to do right now.
Read—FAITHFULNESS—on this site.
END TIMES – – – WHAT’S YOUR POSITION ?
December 12, 2023 By Leave a Comment
Looks like a sports analogy to be made here—
—If you’re a sports fan, you think everybody must be (ought to be) a sports fan.
Obviously any conversation starts with,
“What’s your favorite team ?”
No, “What’s ‘your team’?”
You’ll talk about ‘your team’, hope ‘your team’ wins, stay loyal to ‘your team’.
You know there are other teams out there, but you don’t really like to talk much about how they might win, because ‘your team’ is ‘your team’.
It’s all about the future, next year—talking about ‘your team’ is it.
If you’re not a sports fan, you know how emphatically, fanatically, sports fans follow ‘their team’ and talk about it (and talk about it . . .).
They may ask you what’s ‘your team’.
You may even be prepared to answer with one, just to humor them, or so they’ll think you’re at least in the group.
That’s how it is in the sports world.
Sports has become phenomenally all-consuming in our country and culture.
It is big entertainment, big business, and big worship.
– – –
Is it fair to make the analogy between sports and end times teaching, talking about sacred teachings from the Bible in the same article with secular sports ?
Or is it sacrilegious ?
Here is where I find myself, on both subjects, prompted to write.
One is far more important, and the other has become far too important.
One matters in the end, and the other is fleeting just like the ‘longevity’ of career and fame.
The assorted views of sacred teachings has become like secular competition between interpretations.
The debate even gets heated like competition.
If you’re right—if you’re the best—you’re obligated to prove how obviously you must come out on top.
A test for end times teaching getting into sports-like competition—
—Does time and emphasis on end times teaching in any way draw away from the Gospel message of urging people to confess their sin and turn to Jesus for salvation ?
Even the teachers that graciously offer the various interpretations of the end times must be careful how much time is spent—and more important, how listeners might feel pressure to pick one.
Conviction for my sin, to make me want to get saved from the fires of hell, must not be compromised by fear of tribulation, to make me want to avoid suffering here. (And that is, if their interpretation is right)
– – –
SPORTS
I used to have ‘my team’—America’s Team—The Dallas Cowboys.
I greatly admired Tom Landry !
I even quote him, after he won two Superbowls in a row, and someone asked what he was going to work on for the next year.
“Consistency.”
Sounds like what’s required of all Christians as stewards.
“Faithfulness.”
You see, I know what it’s like to be inspired by sports—just ask my kids, when they were in it ! ! !
But now . . .
– – –
END TIMES TEACHING
I believe everything in the Bible is for us to read and study.
I’m working on it—want to do better.
I do not believe anyone has a corner on explaining everything the Bible says.
I do not have enough intelligence or claim enough wisdom or feel enough devotion to any teacher to guarantee how things will go down at the end.
The most important things are clear, settled.
As Ed Vitagliano said on afr:
“. . . I know two things—He’s coming, and I’m going.”
“WITH CHILD”
December 12, 2023 By Leave a Comment
“With Child”
NOT
“with tissue”
– – –
Everyone knows this is true.
“You do not know how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child.”
—–His Book