Take Note, or Heed Words

 

File:Taking Learning Seriously by Lee Shulman

Thursday, October 4, 2012, I published my blog "I Love Our Members." Neither of the men mentioned in the first two paragraphs are with us today, but I am firm in my belief I will see both of them again. They, among many others, kept notes, as I do. 

I keep notes from Sunday sermons in notebooks which fit into back pockets of blue jeans. They were designed by a constructor worker who needed them, adopted by the company who hired him, were used for decades as a tool by all employees for decades, and called "Homer Books" after the man who cut down stenographer notebooks to fit into his jean's pocket. What do you use to take notes?

Some might use a digital device. I have one of those and can type almost as fast on one as I can a keyboard. However, I keep a Homer Book in my church bag for sermon notes, and have several in my work area here, filled with notes. Many have shown up in blogs over the years. None of them are expected to last as long as notes written that became scripture.

We don't know who took notes as King David spoke to his son, but we do know the advice given:

That the LORD may continue his word which he spake concerning me, saying, If thy children take heed to their way, to walk before me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail thee (said he) a man on the throne of Israel. (1 Kings 2:4)

The "if-then" statement is the basic decision-maker in programming. It tells the computer to check a defined condition. If that condition is true, then the computer perform a specified action. If the condition is false, then the computer skips that action and performs a different action.

God often spoke to prophets and people with "if-then" statements.  In this particular story, David is passing along the promise God made David about his children. If you are familiar with I Kings, you know David had a rather disfunctional family, with a couple of adult children working to make themselves his replacement.

I've given all that background just to be certain it is important to know when to heed the words in the Bible, and to take notes when they are being explained. David was carefully explaining to Solomon that it was necessary for his own children to note, to take heed of what was written generations before:

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. (Deuteronomy 6:4-5)

It is of that very verse, the oneness of God, that Jesus said:

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. (Matthew 22:37-38)

Just in case you didn't get it when Matthew wrote his note, Mark wrote his:

And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. (Mark 12:29-30)

Solomon did not do what Israel was told to do:

And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. (Deuteronomy 6:6-7)

Just in case you haven't take note, nor heeded the words, scripture repeats important information:

Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes. And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. (Deuteronomy 11:18-19)

There were Israelites then, and today, who physically wore scripture. However, we serves a spiritual being and we need to have these in the center of our being, in the center of our heart, our very soul, the essence of who and what we are. We need to have the love we hold for God so evident that people who know us also know our love of God is the reason we take note and pay heed.

I've made "notes"  here on this blog for literal decades. People I will never meet in my lifetime here have read some. I pray for my readers to understand God's good news for all mankind. For those who do read and understand, we will have time in eternity to meet, and rejoice. Looking forward to seeing you there, too, because you noted and heeded God's message.

Send A Philip

 

Detail from: Aelbert Cuyp - Saint Philip Baptising the Ethiopian Eunuch

Recently I was requested to pray for a person I did not know. My favorite verse when an unknown request is made, or one that is noted to be unspoken, is:

Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. (Romans 8:26-27)

I don't need to know the person nor the request, because I know who God sent following Jesus' resurrection:

But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. (John 14:26)

John is the only gospel writer to speak of the Comforter, but Luke also wrote of the Holy Ghost, and whether it is Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit, the remainder of the letters connect the three aspects of our God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I know that has been taken to mean that Christians worship three different God's, but the example I like best is me.

I am a daughter, a wife, and a mother. I interact differently with people depending on the individual aspects required. I also am a woman, an employer, and an employee. Depending on the situation, I make a wide range of decisions based on those attributes. I am bound by physical limitations and can be in only one place at a time, and one time or place. But that simplicity should give you a clue.

God is not limited. Not by time, not by place, not by flesh - except when He appeared here on earth as the child of Mary and Joseph. That was His choice. Jesus was limited by flesh and somewhat by time, but the spirit that is the God we worship was not. Nor is He now. Nor is He divided into three separate beings. The name He gave to Moses is good enough for me: I AM.

God provided the Holy Spirit as the Comforter. He remains with us. My favorite story about the Holy Spirit includes the disciple, Philip and is found in Acts:

And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert. And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship, Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet. Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot. And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him. The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth: In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth. And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man? Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. (Acts 8:26-35)

Spend some time thinking about the two men in this story. One walked with Jesus for three years, watched Jesus die, spent time with Him after the resurrection, and has been talking about it for years. The other is reading scripture from another language, a different people, and only God knows why it was that the two of them were brought together for such a time as this, but neither hesitated to converse.

After thinking about the prayer request, and reading Acts 8:26-27, I had a suggestion form in my mind. "Lord, send a Philip. Send someone who will allow the Holy Spirit to work through them, as Philip did. Let the person open their heart to be receptive to the Holy Spirit and understand the gospel message is for them."  Yes, a prayer. Amen - may it be so.

There are Philips in our world today. I know a couple of them - ready to answer the questions "... of whom speaketh the prophet ..." In fact, both you and I can be the Philip for someone. I actually have been, I believe, speaking with someone at a specific time when they were open to the Holy Spirit's message. I spoke without thinking about what I was saying, and frankly I was surprised at what I said, and it wasn't exactly the same each time. It fit the moment. 

No, I was not requested to baptize anyone. That certainly is not my calling. But I am called to tell others about Jesus. All Christians know this:

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. (Luke 2:11)

Simply share it and you can be a Philip, too. 

LAD The Widow Maker

 

This is one of the reasons I haven't spent time on the computer - I was 90+% blocked and needed angioplasty and a stent before experiencing the actual heart attack. Fortunately, I found a great cardiologist who listened to me and my symptoms. Be certain they are clear to you to - it happens to both men and women, at differing ages. Pay attention to the symptoms your body shares. If your doctor isn't responsive to your questions, see another doctor.

There were three other reasons from as far back as the fall of 2024 that have slowed me down during that year - treatments and body reactions to Atrial Fibrillation, a fall with a small bone break, and a parathyroid gland that decided to work overtime and mess up several body functions that hadn't been part of the heart, bone, bruises issues. It has taken over a full year and a half to see enough doctors, hospitals, and I'm still in cardio rehab three times a week along with physical rehab twice a week, plus a family that fluctuates between "You need to be active," and "Don't do too much." There is a fine line and I stumble across it often.

However - it is my own responsibility to own up to the fact that one of the things I let slip was sharing the Bible. It is one thing I should have been doing through the entire period, and I didn't. The Bible has lots of examples of people that didn't do what they were supposed to do according to God's planning.

We could begin with Adam and Eve - but we know their story all to well. Or Abraham - who lied about his wife - kind of - and made a king unhappy. Or Joseph's brothers - who carried sibling rivalry way too far, yet God used the circumstances to create a nation. But my favorite example is a man who is described by the Lord as "a man after his own heart," and is yet known as a sinner - King David:

And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever. But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee. (1 Samuel 13:13-14)

We all sin. From Eve down to me and everyone in between and around, we're all sinners - as recently as this moment. David committed several before the first of the sons Bathsheba bore him by adultry with her and planning the death of her husband. Yet God saw David as a man after God's own heart. I believe that is shown in the Psalms he wrote about his relationship with God, but mostly in Psalm 51 where he shows contrition over both sins that cost him their son:

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee. Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness. (Psalms 51:10-14)

There was no sacrifice that came to David's mind that could cleanse his guilt, the blood guilt of taking lives. However, David had a personal relationship with God, was inspired by God to write:

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. (Psalms 51:17)

I firmly believe that forgiveness was open to even Judas Iscariot. Instead of turning his broken spirit into a contrite heart to be healed of God, Judas took his own life while retaining the bloodguilt he had taken.

Don't keep guilt. Keeping it in our hearts and mind helps it grow and can remove any room for God's forgiveness in our hearts. "If" truly is an illusion. There is nothing different to be done in the past. Nothing can change that has been done. However, everything in the future can be different with God's acceptance of a broken and contrite heart. Take it to God. He is ready to heal.

He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds. (Psalms 147:3)

Finally - Two Posts in One Week!

Just a reminder today why I write this blog - to interest people in reading the Holy Bible in order to learn more about God, Jesus, and Christianity. Of course, there is a goal - to get people to ask questions about God, Jesus, Christianity - and themselves. Where do we fit into God's universe?

If you look at the creation story in Genesis, it would appear we were an afterthought. Created following the solar system followed by plants and specific animals (which fits with the theory of evolution except for timing), mankind might have been considered an afterthought. Until you read a verse or two from the Bible:

Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: (Acts 2:22-23)

Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, (1 Peter 1:20)

In the first reference Paul is explaining to Jews that they did not surprise God by crucifying the man who called Himself the God. God knew it was going to happen when He was speaking to Adam and Eve as they were being ejected from the Garden of Eden. There's another verse in Genesis that shows me the crucifixion was part of creation:

And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together. (Genesis 22:8)

Through the birth of Jesus (definitely a human being) with the Holy Spirit of God, the Messiah (or Christ in Greek) was as human as we are, and still as much God as God always. That doesn't mean that there are or were two separate Gods, because we fully believe:

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: (Deuteronomy 6:4-6)

Which Jesus answered when asked:

Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. (Matthew 22:36-40)

That's not quite the entire basics for having faith that Jesus is who He said He is. John has much more of the story in his third chapter. The important things are repeated, but the most memorized are:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. (John 3:16-19)

If you are not a Christian, that might sound a bit odd to you - feel free to leave a note expressing your own opinion as to why this is an oddity. Do it anonymously if you wish, as there are times it is easier to express opinions without getting personal. 

If you belong to a different religion, it might sound blasphemous since it does not agree with your concept of deity - feel free to ask questions as to why I chose to follow Jesus instead of any other major earthly religion after studying their differences and their similarities. I'd love such a discussion of differences.

If you are a Christian and you find it slightly off kilter - please take time to leave a note as to why. I believe in looking at scripture the way Paul tells Timothy how to use them:

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

I know - yesterday I used the same reference. It is important. It is doctrine. It is good for both an expression of disapproval and an offer for correction, even instructions. Hopefully I'll get into how we are perfect next week. Oh, yes - haven't Christians explained their perfection to you? Or mentioned why good works are great, but not sufficient? 

There are so many things to discuss about Christianity. Read your Bible so you can do so well. See you later this week week. Sunday morning I'll be in a building with our church celebrating Jesus. Christmas is just one day. We celebrate together weekly, and daily in our own lives. I've been remiss about sharing that paraticular piece of information.

 

The Lighted Grave

(Copyright photo - do not use without requesting permission)

The photo is not mine - it belongs to a friend from work, it is her grandfather's gravesite. She took the photo after her grandfather's services. When she showed it to me, I asked if I could use it on a blog. That's been months ago. That's how many opportunities I've let slip by to share what was an awesome experience for a granddaughter. And a great deal of thoughtfulness from me.

Is it simply a trick of lighting that has a shaft of sunlight reaching down to touch the flowers on one grave out of many? Or is the God who created the universe capable of noticing the loss of one individual who believed the biblical words:

He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?  (Micah 6:8)

I recently was reminded that not everyone believes in a deity. Yet we persist in believing a book that took hundreds of years to compile and has lasted over two thousand years following what we see as the last documented entry. Before a century followed Jesus birth, His story was written. I think it is best said as John introduced Jesus in his gospel:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. (John 1:1-5)

Writers of the Bible, we firmly believe, were inspired by God - literally God-breathed the information that was to be written, and in many cases explained why:

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

I'm sitting at my computer knowing I could write for days and still not help you connect the dots unless you are looking for the faith that we have in a personal, loving, salvation offering, deity referred to as LORD, God, Father in the Bible. You've heard of Him, or you wouldn't have read this far. Take the next step and get to know Him as well as the gentleman in the grave does.

That light beam touched down for less than a moment.

That's all that took. Less than sixty seconds to be noticed, appreciated, photographed. Less than a moment in time that actually inspired me to ask for permission to use the photo on this blog. My purpose? To share with you a light mentioned by John six times in his gospel - and he wasn't the only one. In one of his inspired verses, John quotes Jesus:

Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. (John 8:12)

I write so people will look for that light. Look for it in people around all us. Look for it in prayer to God to provide the light in our own lives. If this light appears hidden to you, be aware of the reason and pray you do not fall in this category:

But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. (2 Corinthians 4:3-4)