From the Old Testament
Psalms 22 - Attributed to King David as prophecy
16 - For dogs have compassed (surrounded) me: the assembly of the wicked have enclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.
17 - I may tell all my bones: (the bones of one hanging from the cross became prominent, and easily seen.) they look and stare upon me.
18 - They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture. (clothes)
Isaiah 35:
4 - Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you.
5 - Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.
6 - Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing:...
From the New Testament
Matthew 11:
5 - The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.
Matthew 27:
26 - Then released he (Pilate) Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged (whipped bloody) Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.
30 - And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head.
31 - And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him.
32 - And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross.
35 - And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.
The whole point of the Old Testament may be that God says, What other God tells you what will happen and it happens? Show me one that can that? Any other God tell you what will come and it comes? It is to show His word is truth.
He speaks through his prophets to say this will happen to Tyre, this will happen to Israel, and these things came to be reality.History itself has shown it to us. The things in this book are not just stories, they have happened.
He told of the Christ before he was born. I offered just a couple examples. There are many more.
As I go through another Easter I found hope, in Matthew 32.
"And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his (Jesus) cross."
Even Jesus, when he was here as a human male, could not complete his road alone. He was beaten raw and bloody, weakened by loss of blood and lack of water. He could not carry his burden alone. The guards found someone to help him.
The man was a Cyrene. It's a country in Africa on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, southward of the most western point of the Island of Crete. It's only mentioned 4 times in the New Testament. He was black, he was a stranger and he was named Simon, which means one that hears; one that obeys.
There was a large crowd there that day. If he was pulled from the crowd at random, a stranger in the country, how did Matthew learn his name? He must have spoken to him later. I like to think it was because he cared that someone helped his friend.
It would have been obvious to every one that Jesus was too hurt to carry the cross. That Simon, even if he was compelled, helped Jesus complete his task is a comfort to me today.
Jesus was close, but could not go on. Simon carried on with the task. He heard, he obeyed. It sounds simple, but it was a hard job to lug that wood up the hill. It probably took both of them.
The hope I find in this? We don't have to work alone. When we have a task we believe must be completed another that cares may help us.
If Jesus couldn't do it alone, why would I think I have to? What shame in looking about for help? What shame in asking for it?
None. No shame in being too weak or hurt or confused - whatever the problem is - no shame in needing someone to lend a hand. The only shame is in not completing the task.
When God needs you to do a thing He will send the help you need. Sometimes you don't even have to ask for it. The ones who see the need fill it, in caring love for Him.
God gave him back to us for a short time that we might see death is defeated. He lives. We live.
How can we thank Him for that? He defied even death for us in His love.
We can only share the story to bring others to the safe harbor of knowing that we live.
When I pray my thanks to Him on Easter Sunday it will be for showing me I don't have to be strong enough alone. It's okay to need a hand sometimes. I can look to Him and say I need help here, no shame in not being able to go it alone.
Praying and working together to bring His Kingdom to life on earth unifies all of us that believe. This Sunday I hope you will all remember how many are in buildings of belief celebrating the resurrection of Jesus. All over the world the faith still grows. On this day many are united, celebrating the power of His Divine Love that joins us all together.
Mt 13:52 Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe [which is] instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man [that is] an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure [things] new and old.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Needs and gifts
I have a need to give. It was a thought I had when I was trying to understand some of my ways of interaction with others. It struck me as rather oxymoronic. I thought about it.
I know I didn't mean what I said. It sounded like I want to give someone a need. I tried to see it a different way. To say just what I meant. I have a desire to fill others needs. That is closer. I tried harder.
A "Need" is a thing that lurks in your life and makes it hard to find the joy. When I have a "Need" I try to fill it before it gets out of hand. So do we all.
Some "Needs" are big, like warmth and food, water or shelter. Some are smaller, like shoes and coats or gloves and mittens in winter.
Some needs are invisible, to be loved, to have friends, to know someone cares about you; Those are the ones I keep seeing all around me. They are invisible needs. They are hard to see, harder to fill, only filled by loving care between us. Those are the needs that draw me.
Some one said once that the needs we see in others are our own needs reflected back to us. My thought was that we can only recognize a need when we have experienced it ourselves. You can't see an invisible need, you can only see the need for what it is when you have known it yourself.
I want to fill the "Needs" I see in others. It's part of "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." I would like someone to fill my needs when I can't do it alone. I offer that to those I meet here, freely and with love.
If love is the only thing that will fill those needs then what I should say is, "I love to give". I want to show love by my actions, not just my words. It's what I seem to have a need to do; Show love to others who have a need for love in their life.
If they learn to see the needs that were met in them they will know them when they see them in others and, I hope, pass the love on by filling them. Then the love grows and spreads. That loving care for each other takes "Do unto others..", and changes it into "love others as yourself".
Then it changes "I have a need to give" into, "I have love to share". That love I share was given to me to meet the needs I see in others, not to keep all to myself.
Like His love, the Divine Love, it's free, no charge, no debt. It's not because someone earned it or deserve it, it's because I love to give it, as He loved giving it to me. He sends enough for me and extra love for all the ones I meet.
Those that let me meet their needs are doing me the favor of letting me have the joy in sharing. I have the joy of caring, the joy of sharing and the joy of knowing I may have helped a friend.
From a simple gift, a card, a call or the dollar I slip a pan-handler, to the time I spend giving someone a hand, it's my loving care I am giving. That's what He gives me to share.
I don't have a need to give. I have love to share and to spare.
I know I didn't mean what I said. It sounded like I want to give someone a need. I tried to see it a different way. To say just what I meant. I have a desire to fill others needs. That is closer. I tried harder.
A "Need" is a thing that lurks in your life and makes it hard to find the joy. When I have a "Need" I try to fill it before it gets out of hand. So do we all.
Some "Needs" are big, like warmth and food, water or shelter. Some are smaller, like shoes and coats or gloves and mittens in winter.
Some needs are invisible, to be loved, to have friends, to know someone cares about you; Those are the ones I keep seeing all around me. They are invisible needs. They are hard to see, harder to fill, only filled by loving care between us. Those are the needs that draw me.
Some one said once that the needs we see in others are our own needs reflected back to us. My thought was that we can only recognize a need when we have experienced it ourselves. You can't see an invisible need, you can only see the need for what it is when you have known it yourself.
I want to fill the "Needs" I see in others. It's part of "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." I would like someone to fill my needs when I can't do it alone. I offer that to those I meet here, freely and with love.
If love is the only thing that will fill those needs then what I should say is, "I love to give". I want to show love by my actions, not just my words. It's what I seem to have a need to do; Show love to others who have a need for love in their life.
If they learn to see the needs that were met in them they will know them when they see them in others and, I hope, pass the love on by filling them. Then the love grows and spreads. That loving care for each other takes "Do unto others..", and changes it into "love others as yourself".
Then it changes "I have a need to give" into, "I have love to share". That love I share was given to me to meet the needs I see in others, not to keep all to myself.
Like His love, the Divine Love, it's free, no charge, no debt. It's not because someone earned it or deserve it, it's because I love to give it, as He loved giving it to me. He sends enough for me and extra love for all the ones I meet.
Those that let me meet their needs are doing me the favor of letting me have the joy in sharing. I have the joy of caring, the joy of sharing and the joy of knowing I may have helped a friend.
From a simple gift, a card, a call or the dollar I slip a pan-handler, to the time I spend giving someone a hand, it's my loving care I am giving. That's what He gives me to share.
I don't have a need to give. I have love to share and to spare.
Friday, March 14, 2008
What comes out of your mouth
is what is in your heart. What you send into the world is what is in your heart.
You can't give joy when you are sad. You can't give kindness when you feel hurt. You can't love when you are full of hate.
You can't hide the truth of your heart from anyone who knows you. The clerk you smile at and joke with may think you are a courteous and funny guy. Spend ten minutes with anyone, though, and you will see what they are inside.
If they hurt, they leak tears. If they are peaceful, they spread smiles. If they love and are loved they will share it with you. If they are filled with hate and pain, they share that with you, too. It's easy to spread hate, or hurt, it's as catching as the flu.
Thank God, so is love. It's what I want to spread.
Today I failed in that. I got angry at a hurt I saw going through my friends. It spread across my path. I reacted before I thought enough or took it in prayer to understand. I was mad about it.
So I passed on a snit of hurt. It's lose in the world because I just didn't delete the first one. I saw the meanness in that thing and passed it back, with a bonus of mean added to it. Now I am sorry but it's too late, again, for me to fix it. I did it.
I just don't seem to learn. I can't change the world, I can only change me and walk what I believe. I chose not to pass on bad thought or feelings or hurt to others. I chose that, to walk gently. Every day I try to chose what is in my heart and give the rest to the Divine Love to deal with.
But today I reverted. I let my personal emotions get in the way of what I know is right or wrong. I did wrong, in my eyes, by spreading nasty thoughts on. Now I am done with it, but the wrong I did will take on a life of it's own. That is how it got to me. Someone thought it funny, I saw it as mean and unloving. I should have just deleted it and let it go.
But I got angry and snapped a nasty back. I can only hope Grace covers cranky, lonely women who believe true love is real when they act like snotty kids. I guess I will find out.
This was part of my morning reading -From John 8 - Amplified Bible
34 Jesus answered them, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, Whoever commits and practices sin is the slave of sin.
(You snatch a candy bar. Now you have to hide it. Now you have to try and remember what you looked like 30 seconds ago, innocent, and try to look like that again. Your whole being is taken up in not getting caught. Not a bit of you left to think of anything but that thing you snatched and getting away.
You are already making up excuses in your head in case you get caught. Lies to get you off. No room for the truth in your heart when you are totally involved in being dishonest and lying.
You can't share it with anyone who might guess you stole it - unless they are a thief, too.
When you eat it the smell will give you away for a while. You can't risk getting too close to Mom or the siblings....how to do that? You are a slave to this action once you take it.
That's what I did today. I can't take it back, I have to accept any consequences that come.)
35 Now a slave does not remain in a household permanently (forever); the son [of the house] does remain forever.
(Slaves are property. That wrongness owns you. You can be sold by one who knows you did wrong. Like your sister saw you snatch that treat and now you do her chores so she doesn' t tell on you to the folks.
The son of the house can't be sold. He is there by right of birth.)
36 So if the Son liberates you [makes you free men], then you are really and unquestionably free.
(Being born to being aware of your spirit freed by His, you are a son or daughter of the house. There are responsibilities that go with that, I just messed mine up. )
... 38 I tell the things which I have seen and learned at My Father's side, and your actions also reflect what you have heard and learned from your father.
My Dad thought an eye for an eye was right. I think it's mean and hurtful. But Dad would have been pleased with me today for trying to get my point across. All I think I did was take too seriously what others see as only a joke. I passed on another thought contrary to what I think is right to press the point. So give me one "head pat" from Dad.
I only pray for grace to cover it. I know what I meant to do was wrong, even if it is not seen as such. I tried to let it be known that one I know has a loving heart was passing "not love" around and it hurt me to see that. Then I sent the other "not love" so they could compare the two items.
My only hope is it was all so vague that they miss the hurt I felt and sent. But I don't think so.
I'll be asking forgivness from them again. They have a right to their own opinion. I don't have to share mine with them.
But what came out of me was hurt because that was what was in me. He showed me it was me, again, being too judgemental. That is His to do.
(I have a new computer at work, I didn't know where the delete key was...... Think He will believe that?.....me neither.)
I'm sorry. I screwed up. I know it was wrong now and I will try to do better. It's all I can offer. It seems pretty pitiful.
I'm sorry is hard to say. It's never big enough to fix the hurt you gave. It only says you care and will try not to do it again. Still, we are just humans. Especially me.
Maybe someone will forgive me.
You can't give joy when you are sad. You can't give kindness when you feel hurt. You can't love when you are full of hate.
You can't hide the truth of your heart from anyone who knows you. The clerk you smile at and joke with may think you are a courteous and funny guy. Spend ten minutes with anyone, though, and you will see what they are inside.
If they hurt, they leak tears. If they are peaceful, they spread smiles. If they love and are loved they will share it with you. If they are filled with hate and pain, they share that with you, too. It's easy to spread hate, or hurt, it's as catching as the flu.
Thank God, so is love. It's what I want to spread.
Today I failed in that. I got angry at a hurt I saw going through my friends. It spread across my path. I reacted before I thought enough or took it in prayer to understand. I was mad about it.
So I passed on a snit of hurt. It's lose in the world because I just didn't delete the first one. I saw the meanness in that thing and passed it back, with a bonus of mean added to it. Now I am sorry but it's too late, again, for me to fix it. I did it.
I just don't seem to learn. I can't change the world, I can only change me and walk what I believe. I chose not to pass on bad thought or feelings or hurt to others. I chose that, to walk gently. Every day I try to chose what is in my heart and give the rest to the Divine Love to deal with.
But today I reverted. I let my personal emotions get in the way of what I know is right or wrong. I did wrong, in my eyes, by spreading nasty thoughts on. Now I am done with it, but the wrong I did will take on a life of it's own. That is how it got to me. Someone thought it funny, I saw it as mean and unloving. I should have just deleted it and let it go.
But I got angry and snapped a nasty back. I can only hope Grace covers cranky, lonely women who believe true love is real when they act like snotty kids. I guess I will find out.
This was part of my morning reading -From John 8 - Amplified Bible
34 Jesus answered them, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, Whoever commits and practices sin is the slave of sin.
(You snatch a candy bar. Now you have to hide it. Now you have to try and remember what you looked like 30 seconds ago, innocent, and try to look like that again. Your whole being is taken up in not getting caught. Not a bit of you left to think of anything but that thing you snatched and getting away.
You are already making up excuses in your head in case you get caught. Lies to get you off. No room for the truth in your heart when you are totally involved in being dishonest and lying.
You can't share it with anyone who might guess you stole it - unless they are a thief, too.
When you eat it the smell will give you away for a while. You can't risk getting too close to Mom or the siblings....how to do that? You are a slave to this action once you take it.
That's what I did today. I can't take it back, I have to accept any consequences that come.)
35 Now a slave does not remain in a household permanently (forever); the son [of the house] does remain forever.
(Slaves are property. That wrongness owns you. You can be sold by one who knows you did wrong. Like your sister saw you snatch that treat and now you do her chores so she doesn' t tell on you to the folks.
The son of the house can't be sold. He is there by right of birth.)
36 So if the Son liberates you [makes you free men], then you are really and unquestionably free.
(Being born to being aware of your spirit freed by His, you are a son or daughter of the house. There are responsibilities that go with that, I just messed mine up. )
... 38 I tell the things which I have seen and learned at My Father's side, and your actions also reflect what you have heard and learned from your father.
My Dad thought an eye for an eye was right. I think it's mean and hurtful. But Dad would have been pleased with me today for trying to get my point across. All I think I did was take too seriously what others see as only a joke. I passed on another thought contrary to what I think is right to press the point. So give me one "head pat" from Dad.
I only pray for grace to cover it. I know what I meant to do was wrong, even if it is not seen as such. I tried to let it be known that one I know has a loving heart was passing "not love" around and it hurt me to see that. Then I sent the other "not love" so they could compare the two items.
My only hope is it was all so vague that they miss the hurt I felt and sent. But I don't think so.
I'll be asking forgivness from them again. They have a right to their own opinion. I don't have to share mine with them.
But what came out of me was hurt because that was what was in me. He showed me it was me, again, being too judgemental. That is His to do.
(I have a new computer at work, I didn't know where the delete key was...... Think He will believe that?.....me neither.)
I'm sorry. I screwed up. I know it was wrong now and I will try to do better. It's all I can offer. It seems pretty pitiful.
I'm sorry is hard to say. It's never big enough to fix the hurt you gave. It only says you care and will try not to do it again. Still, we are just humans. Especially me.
Maybe someone will forgive me.
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Pick one
Sometimes I think too much and this verse got my attention. I have several people I am trying to help that I am unsure what to do for them.
I started with King James and Strong's concordence. These are all different translations. Then, even in the commentary I use, there were two versions.
My heart says even one that has left God behind should be helped, that I don't leave God behind myself.
I try to help others when they are brought to me for I believe that is what He wants us to do. How the one I help believes is not mine to judge or change. That is up to Him. How I live my life is mine. I sleep better knowing I have tried to help where I can. Even if it seems what I did didn't help or comfort, still, I have to try.
Maybe you will see it differently.....
Job 6:14 (KJV) To him that is afflicted pity [should be shewed] from his friend; but he forsaketh the fear of the Almighty.
Job 6:14 ¶ "For the despairing man there should be kindness from his friend; So that he does not forsake the fear of the Almighty.
Job 6:14 "A despairing man should have the devotion of his friends, even though he forsakes the fear of the Almighty.
Job 6:14 "He who withholds kindness from a friend forsakes the fear of the Almighty. (RSV)
Job 6:14 ¶ He whose heart is shut against his friend has given up the fear of the Ruler of all. (BBE)
Job 6:14 ¶(darby) For him that is fainting kindness [is meet] from his friend; or he forsaketh the fear of the Almighty.
Job 6:14 (web) "To him who is ready to faint, kindness should be shown from his friend; even to him who forsakes the fear of the Almighty.
(Adam Clark) The Vulgate gives a better sense, "He who takes away mercy from his friend, hath cast off the fear of the Lord." To him who despiseth his friend, it is a reproach; and he will forsake the fear of the Almighty:
as Mr. Good translates, "Shame to the man who despiseth his friend! He indeed hath departed from the fear of the Almighty."
the passage may be read: To him who despiseth his friend, it is a reproach; and he will forsake the fear of the Almighty:
or, as Mr. Good translates, "Shame to the man who despiseth his friend! He indeed hath departed from the fear of the Almighty."
However you read it, it is right to help others. Still, I haven't picked one yet. I'm still thinking on it.
I started with King James and Strong's concordence. These are all different translations. Then, even in the commentary I use, there were two versions.
My heart says even one that has left God behind should be helped, that I don't leave God behind myself.
I try to help others when they are brought to me for I believe that is what He wants us to do. How the one I help believes is not mine to judge or change. That is up to Him. How I live my life is mine. I sleep better knowing I have tried to help where I can. Even if it seems what I did didn't help or comfort, still, I have to try.
Maybe you will see it differently.....
Job 6:14 (KJV) To him that is afflicted pity [should be shewed] from his friend; but he forsaketh the fear of the Almighty.
Job 6:14 ¶ "For the despairing man there should be kindness from his friend; So that he does not forsake the fear of the Almighty.
Job 6:14 "A despairing man should have the devotion of his friends, even though he forsakes the fear of the Almighty.
Job 6:14 "He who withholds kindness from a friend forsakes the fear of the Almighty. (RSV)
Job 6:14 ¶ He whose heart is shut against his friend has given up the fear of the Ruler of all. (BBE)
Job 6:14 ¶(darby) For him that is fainting kindness [is meet] from his friend; or he forsaketh the fear of the Almighty.
Job 6:14 (web) "To him who is ready to faint, kindness should be shown from his friend; even to him who forsakes the fear of the Almighty.
(Adam Clark) The Vulgate gives a better sense, "He who takes away mercy from his friend, hath cast off the fear of the Lord." To him who despiseth his friend, it is a reproach; and he will forsake the fear of the Almighty:
as Mr. Good translates, "Shame to the man who despiseth his friend! He indeed hath departed from the fear of the Almighty."
the passage may be read: To him who despiseth his friend, it is a reproach; and he will forsake the fear of the Almighty:
or, as Mr. Good translates, "Shame to the man who despiseth his friend! He indeed hath departed from the fear of the Almighty."
However you read it, it is right to help others. Still, I haven't picked one yet. I'm still thinking on it.
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