He who digs a pit may fall into it . . . He who quarries stones may be hurt by them, and he who splits logs may be endangered by them. If the axe is dull and he does not sharpen its edge, then he must exert more strength. Wisdom has the advantage of giving success (Ecclesiastes 10:8-10).
This post is more of a personal note than anything, but, in case that posting suddenly stops, you, my gentle readers, will know why--I have fallen. I have 400 feet of hog barn to put a new roof on. I have worked about 5 days and have completed about 75 feet. What takes most of the time is tearing off the old roof so that the new steel roof can be installed. I will have to say that this hard and demanding physical work is good for this 62 year old body. I have a lot of aches and pains but I feel like I am getting a little stronger and am able to work with much greater agility 10 feet off the ground. Hopefully the weather will cooperate and my skills will increase so that I can complete this task before winter. There is nothing worse than trying to drive screws with numb fingers.
There are blessings that come with hard work and there are dangers; it is good for us to rise to the challenge!
Our Father's Blessings,
Tom
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
GETTING TO KNOW GOD
For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. Ever since the creation of the world his invisible nature, namely, his eternal power and deity, has been clearly perceived in the things that have been made (Romans 1:19-20 RSV).
They show that what the law requires is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness and their conflicting thought accuse or perhaps excuse them . . . (Romans 2:15 RSV).
In many and various ways God spoke of old to our fathers by the prophets; but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son . . . (Hebrews 1:1-2 RSV).
There are many in the scientific community who see God's fingerprints on the universe. That is what God intended, he wanted people to become aware of his presence through the things he has made; nature speaks of nature's God. Nature cannot call itself into existence; nothing cannot become something on its own. Only God can create something out of nothing and it is he whom we must worship. Those who deny the reality of a creator God worship the creation rather than the Creator.
There are those who reduce human beings to being nothing more than animals and only products of evolution out of nothing; only products of heredity and environment. Thus, the value of a human being is not more than that of an animal and that is why abortion is not troubling to a naturalistic evolutionist.
There are religionists who emphasize the doctrine of original sin so much that they reduce a human to being so totally depraved that he cannot do anything right, everything he does is wrong. Again the reductionism is so thorough that a human being is completely incapable of being aware that there is right and wrong, and thus is not responsible. Original sin has been so emphasized that original righteousness has been forgotten. Human beings are created in the image of God and, as a result, though the image has been dimmed by sin, it still exists! Humans do have a conscience, meaning that there is a little bit of God in every person's heart. Human beings are depraved, but they are not totally depraved; they have enough of God in them to seek him and to do some good and beautiful things.
It is God's will that we know him, so the ultimate expression of his communication to us is Jesus Christ. Jesus "reflects the glory of God and bears the very stamp of his nature," according to Hebrews 1:3. To know Jesus is to know God. To know Jesus first means to know about him. Is it possible to have a deep, fulfilling and enduring relationship without knowing about another? No. So it must be with Jesus. He is revealed in the Bible. Study about him, relate to those who know him and then you will surrender to him in a relationship that will last for eternity.
Our Father's Blessings,
Tom
They show that what the law requires is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness and their conflicting thought accuse or perhaps excuse them . . . (Romans 2:15 RSV).
In many and various ways God spoke of old to our fathers by the prophets; but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son . . . (Hebrews 1:1-2 RSV).
There are many in the scientific community who see God's fingerprints on the universe. That is what God intended, he wanted people to become aware of his presence through the things he has made; nature speaks of nature's God. Nature cannot call itself into existence; nothing cannot become something on its own. Only God can create something out of nothing and it is he whom we must worship. Those who deny the reality of a creator God worship the creation rather than the Creator.
There are those who reduce human beings to being nothing more than animals and only products of evolution out of nothing; only products of heredity and environment. Thus, the value of a human being is not more than that of an animal and that is why abortion is not troubling to a naturalistic evolutionist.
There are religionists who emphasize the doctrine of original sin so much that they reduce a human to being so totally depraved that he cannot do anything right, everything he does is wrong. Again the reductionism is so thorough that a human being is completely incapable of being aware that there is right and wrong, and thus is not responsible. Original sin has been so emphasized that original righteousness has been forgotten. Human beings are created in the image of God and, as a result, though the image has been dimmed by sin, it still exists! Humans do have a conscience, meaning that there is a little bit of God in every person's heart. Human beings are depraved, but they are not totally depraved; they have enough of God in them to seek him and to do some good and beautiful things.
It is God's will that we know him, so the ultimate expression of his communication to us is Jesus Christ. Jesus "reflects the glory of God and bears the very stamp of his nature," according to Hebrews 1:3. To know Jesus is to know God. To know Jesus first means to know about him. Is it possible to have a deep, fulfilling and enduring relationship without knowing about another? No. So it must be with Jesus. He is revealed in the Bible. Study about him, relate to those who know him and then you will surrender to him in a relationship that will last for eternity.
Our Father's Blessings,
Tom
Sunday, August 22, 2010
FORTY YEARS
Forty years ago today, the lovely and gracious Helen and I were married. When John Wooden dedicated his book, They Call Me Coach, he said: "This book is gratefully dedicated to my wife, Nellie. Her love, faith and loyalty through the years are primarily responsible for what I am--be that good or be it bad." What an influence wives have on their husbands! Wooden's thoughts ring true for most men in long-term marriages, at least they are for me. Thank you, Helen!!!
Your Blessed Husband,
Tom
Your Blessed Husband,
Tom
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
CONFLICT AND EMOTIONAL MATURITY
And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds . . . (Hebrews 12:24).
It is often said that the "causes" of marital conflict are disagreements over such things as children, sex, and money. If no issues surfaces in any of these ares, people would probably get along better. However, people do not have trouble getting along because of issues in these areas. These issues tend to bring out the emotional immaturity of people and it is that immaturity, not the issues, that creates the conflict (Family Evaluation, Kerr/Bowen, 188).
One of the symptoms of low levels of emotional maturity is chronic conflict. In a marriage where there is low emotional maturity, each of the spouses believes that it is the other that needs to change to bring about a change in the relationship. Even though opposites attract, one of the laws of attraction is that people with similar levels of emotional maturity are attracted to each other so, for example, when one of the spouses is aggressive, most often, the other will be passive-aggressive; each will contribute equally to the conflict.
Except for extreme situations, divorce is not a solution, finding someone else is not a solution because the "someone else" will be a person of similar emotional maturity so the conflict will begin all over again. Learning to deal with conflict is not easy, but learning to do these four things will help:
1. Recognize that you are responsible for much of the conflict.
2. Learn to listen so that you understand. Often, we react emotionally before we understand and, as a result, there is conflict.
3. Recognize the effect of your emotional reactivity on yourself and your spouse. To do this, try to be an observer of your own interactions, noting what actually occurs in your conflicted interactions.
4. Be thankful for the good things that are brought to the relationship. On this earth, there are no perfect human relationships. Look for the positive contributions that the other brings to the relationship and be thankful for them. Attempts to coerce a desired behavior in a relationship might appear to be successful, but feed resentments that will eventually manifest themselves in destructive ways. Teach, for the most part, by example and pray that each of you are sensitive to the Spirit's prompting and become the spouses that they need to be.
Our Father's Blessings,
Tom
It is often said that the "causes" of marital conflict are disagreements over such things as children, sex, and money. If no issues surfaces in any of these ares, people would probably get along better. However, people do not have trouble getting along because of issues in these areas. These issues tend to bring out the emotional immaturity of people and it is that immaturity, not the issues, that creates the conflict (Family Evaluation, Kerr/Bowen, 188).
One of the symptoms of low levels of emotional maturity is chronic conflict. In a marriage where there is low emotional maturity, each of the spouses believes that it is the other that needs to change to bring about a change in the relationship. Even though opposites attract, one of the laws of attraction is that people with similar levels of emotional maturity are attracted to each other so, for example, when one of the spouses is aggressive, most often, the other will be passive-aggressive; each will contribute equally to the conflict.
Except for extreme situations, divorce is not a solution, finding someone else is not a solution because the "someone else" will be a person of similar emotional maturity so the conflict will begin all over again. Learning to deal with conflict is not easy, but learning to do these four things will help:
1. Recognize that you are responsible for much of the conflict.
2. Learn to listen so that you understand. Often, we react emotionally before we understand and, as a result, there is conflict.
3. Recognize the effect of your emotional reactivity on yourself and your spouse. To do this, try to be an observer of your own interactions, noting what actually occurs in your conflicted interactions.
4. Be thankful for the good things that are brought to the relationship. On this earth, there are no perfect human relationships. Look for the positive contributions that the other brings to the relationship and be thankful for them. Attempts to coerce a desired behavior in a relationship might appear to be successful, but feed resentments that will eventually manifest themselves in destructive ways. Teach, for the most part, by example and pray that each of you are sensitive to the Spirit's prompting and become the spouses that they need to be.
Our Father's Blessings,
Tom
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
AVOIDING THE MARK OF THE BEAST
Now the weight of the gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and sixty six talents of gold . . . (I Kings 10:14 RSV).
. . . no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. This calls for wisdom: let him who has understanding reckon the number of the beast, for it is a human number, its number is six hundred and sixty-six (Revelation 13:17-18 RSV, Emphasis mine).
Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek all these things; and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well (Matthew 6:31-33 RSV).
Solomon was the wealthiest king in the history of Israel. Just the income of gold was 666 talents, or very roughly, 59,940 pounds. They had so much gold they didn't count the silver. Did all of Solomon's wealth make him into a more devout man of God? Absolutely not! He became more a man of the world. The wealth of the world falls short of the true wealth God wants us to possess. Understanding that the Old Testament is a foreshadowing of the new, I do not believe that is was any accident that Solomon's annual income in gold was 666 talents, it is an important lesson to us all of what happens when one devotes all the labors of his mind and the labors of his hands to the accumulation of wealth.
Those who see money as the solution to every problem are the one's who wear the mark of the beast. The "beast" is an "it" as the Revised Standard Version correctly translates it, not "his" as every other translation glosses it. The beast is materialism and when materialism becomes becomes the dominant focus of a person's, family's, nation's or church's life, things can get ugly! Church's? Yes, Church's!!! To listen to many pastors talk about giving, one would swear that God was going to go out of business if the people didn't "pony up" the required amount of money. The church can be just as guilty of materialism as anyone--watch for the church with the mark of the beast on it! Giving is a matter of worship, it is not a matter of fundraising!
When people join with God, in the obedience of faith, in his enterprise of sharing the gospel and helping people, giving comes freely, joyfully as a matter of worship.
The "Gentiles" are materialistic, God's family is not. I fully understand that there are brothers and sisters in Christ who are in desperate situations, needing food, clean water, clothing to wear. We who have been blessed can be answers to their prayers, but God does not want any of his children to view money as the solution to his or her problems. As the Lord has said, "Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God."
Our Father's Blessings,
Tom
. . . no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. This calls for wisdom: let him who has understanding reckon the number of the beast, for it is a human number, its number is six hundred and sixty-six (Revelation 13:17-18 RSV, Emphasis mine).
Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek all these things; and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well (Matthew 6:31-33 RSV).
Solomon was the wealthiest king in the history of Israel. Just the income of gold was 666 talents, or very roughly, 59,940 pounds. They had so much gold they didn't count the silver. Did all of Solomon's wealth make him into a more devout man of God? Absolutely not! He became more a man of the world. The wealth of the world falls short of the true wealth God wants us to possess. Understanding that the Old Testament is a foreshadowing of the new, I do not believe that is was any accident that Solomon's annual income in gold was 666 talents, it is an important lesson to us all of what happens when one devotes all the labors of his mind and the labors of his hands to the accumulation of wealth.
Those who see money as the solution to every problem are the one's who wear the mark of the beast. The "beast" is an "it" as the Revised Standard Version correctly translates it, not "his" as every other translation glosses it. The beast is materialism and when materialism becomes becomes the dominant focus of a person's, family's, nation's or church's life, things can get ugly! Church's? Yes, Church's!!! To listen to many pastors talk about giving, one would swear that God was going to go out of business if the people didn't "pony up" the required amount of money. The church can be just as guilty of materialism as anyone--watch for the church with the mark of the beast on it! Giving is a matter of worship, it is not a matter of fundraising!
When people join with God, in the obedience of faith, in his enterprise of sharing the gospel and helping people, giving comes freely, joyfully as a matter of worship.
The "Gentiles" are materialistic, God's family is not. I fully understand that there are brothers and sisters in Christ who are in desperate situations, needing food, clean water, clothing to wear. We who have been blessed can be answers to their prayers, but God does not want any of his children to view money as the solution to his or her problems. As the Lord has said, "Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God."
Our Father's Blessings,
Tom
Saturday, August 07, 2010
PRESERVING MARRIAGE
Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them (emphasis mine, Colossians 3:18-19).
Way back in1987, Olin Hicks wrote a book called, What the Bible Says About Marriage, Divorce and Remarriage. His book was instructive to me and I have used it as a reference many times. In his book he affirmed some thoughts that I was already thinking; it is always good to be affirmed by a real scholar. I'm sharing a quote from his book.
A marriage that is serving the purposes God intended marriage to serve will indeed be unbreakable, not for legal reasons but for emotional reasons. The partners in that marriage simply will not separate. A marriage that is failing to serve those purposes cannot be held together by the edicts of pope, priest, elder or preacher. For too long church leaders have been treating the symptom and not the illness itself. In most cases the "medicine" prescribed seems more harmful to the patient than to the disease.
Our Father's Blessings,
Tom
Way back in1987, Olin Hicks wrote a book called, What the Bible Says About Marriage, Divorce and Remarriage. His book was instructive to me and I have used it as a reference many times. In his book he affirmed some thoughts that I was already thinking; it is always good to be affirmed by a real scholar. I'm sharing a quote from his book.
A marriage that is serving the purposes God intended marriage to serve will indeed be unbreakable, not for legal reasons but for emotional reasons. The partners in that marriage simply will not separate. A marriage that is failing to serve those purposes cannot be held together by the edicts of pope, priest, elder or preacher. For too long church leaders have been treating the symptom and not the illness itself. In most cases the "medicine" prescribed seems more harmful to the patient than to the disease.
Our Father's Blessings,
Tom
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