Posts Tagged ‘ Relationship ’

Weekend Words & Sunday Stanzas – 10/19/2014

Count the ways wisdom is beneficial for your life through the thoughts at Proverbial Thought!

The poem today was written almost exactly seven years ago, and it was soon after meeting a young woman (who is now my wife). She and I met when she was still in a relationship with another young man (a relationship on the way out, I would learn only a week later) and I was focusing on my relationship with God. I was quite taken with her, and I did not understand why at first.

The other inspiration came from others taking note of my affinity for noting times and days (and their affinity for asking me to tell them the last time, to the minute, I had last played with Legos!), and they did not understand why. I was able to point them to a verse I had only memorized that summer:

So teach us to number our days
    that we may get a heart of wisdom.
Psalm 90:12

This poem is also a bit of a call to remember that all of our relationships are meant to honor God, and our pursuit of another person, boyfriend or girlfriend to become husband or wife, should therefore be important enough to take note of important things, such as special moments.

counting time for her and God

 

i get made fun of a lot

for being so aware of time

that i really need a girl

to straighten out my life

but having someone here

would only make it worse

for every moment with her

should be a moment of worth

every single moment is

another moment with her

keeping a catalog of those

is what she should deserve

God deserves nothing less

which is why i count time

for my life forever changed

the day i met Jesus Christ

He counts the days as well

until with all of us He can abide

He anxiously awaits the day

He returns for His Bride

so do not make fun of me

but join me in this venture

of the waiting of our Lord

and counting the days to His Return

2014
10/19
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Trinitarian Elements of Doctor Who!

Find wisdom in unlikely places, such as through the thoughts of a rag-tag group of pastors, lay-leaders, and a young woman at Proverbial Thought!

If you have followed by blog for a reasonable amount of time, you may have learned I am a Whovian, a fan of the British sci-fi television show Doctor Who. The Doctor is a time-travelling alien who looks human, but he is a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey. He is able to escape death by regenerating (all Time Lords can do this), but this has the side-effect of changing his appearance and personality while still being in essence himself.

The topic at hand, however, is one of his companions. He picks up companions frequently, usually from Earth but not always. For the show, companions act as a sort-of stand-in for the audience to ask the questions we might ask … or to simply help move the plot along.

Before I continue, however, I must warn of possible spoilers, specifically about an episode from Spring of 2013, The Name of the Doctor. If you do not wish to have anything spoiled as you watch through the series, you may wish to stop reading now!

How the Trinity Works Its Way into Doctor Who

In the above mentioned episode Clara Oswald helps the Doctor in a big way.

It must first be known that she is called “The Impossible Girl” because she was first seen earlier in the season in an episode in humanity’s future in which she saved the Doctor and his companions. In that season’s Christmas special, she saved the Doctor in Earth’s past.

This is the episode in which we find out how she could have existed hundreds or thousands of years in the past or future and exist in the present.

Clara “Oswin” Oswald, to save the Doctor from being torn from Time/Space by an enemy, jumps into the Doctor’s personal Time-stream. In doing so, copies of her are seeded throughout his lifetime to help him at important junctures in life and thus help him retain his Time-memory and not cease to exist. (Yes, it is very complicated. Just know that she was able to help him in every regeneration the Doctor has had.)

Recently, I have read some articles critiquing newer episodes, especially in connection with Clara’s personality and memory of these other events.

A friend and I noticed how religious some fans get over this show, and how like Christians they act over “dogma” and ideas they have but do not fully understand about the show and its characters.

How Clara Is Like the Trinity

In this similarity, Christians do not understand things such as the Trinity, and this misunderstanding throws off other elements of their theology.

The Doctrine of the Trinity is simply that God exists as three distinct Persons (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) yet is a single Being. The word “trinity” never appears in Scripture, but it has been deduced from Scripture (e.g. see Matthew 3:16-17 which has all three Persons present simultaneously).

Clara helps demonstrate this (and, please remember from here on out that nothing can adequately explain/compare to the concept of the Trinity. Our finite brains will always struggle with this concept) in that while she was interjected into various points along the Doctor’s timeline, each “incarnation” experienced birth, life, and death in each context. Therefore, while each and every “Clara” is, was, and will be Clara, they are never exactly the Clara who is the current companion of the Doctor.

In a sense, she is one being who has been many persons in the Doctor’s life.

It is no wonder, then, that so many people, many of whom are not necessarily Christians if not agnostics/atheists, struggle with this concept of Clara.

If Christians have been arguing about this concept for two thousand years, why should we expect anyone to grasp a fictional adaptation (that was not intended as such by the writers of the show)?

2014
09/23
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Some Final Thoughts About Momma Klem

My mom said to get the Wisdom of God, so start with some of the thoughts found at Proverbial Thought!

Last week, Jesus gave my mom a great big hug and took her Home, one day after her 53rd birthday. The amazing thing is how much joy and love for God was experienced and expressed throughout her final days.

It is hard to stay upset when someone on her way out stresses the importance of our Lord being glorified in the middle of everything.

It was my honor this past Saturday to share about my mom at her Celebration of Life service. I am sharing it with you … plus the last bit I knew I would not be able to say in that moment!

I remember telling my parents when I was a child that I wanted to be just like them when I grew up … only better.

When I first became a Christian, my mom was afraid I had joined a cult, but she could not deny the change in my life.

James 4:6 says, “But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, ‘God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.’” My mom’s response was “Well, I guess I’ll never get grace!”

However, she had a lot of questions, and within a year of my coming to Christ, my parents did to. But mom just asked more questions. As [Pastors] Todd and Scott  can attest, she always had questions. Sometimes there were full arguments over Scripture and Christian life. She would often come to me, call me, or message me in some fashion asking if she was sinning for doubting and questioning so many things that came her way.

First, I would remind her that many people doubted, including the Apostle Thomas, and He is a pillar of the Church! And I would always respond with 1 Thessalonians 5:21, “Test everything; hold onto the good.”

Back to James 4, in verses 7-8, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”

As a new Christian, I often wondered why more people would not help out as much as I did as a new believer. When my parents finally started following Jesus, there was no stopping them! Ask anyone: they dived in head first, helping out everywhere they could.

But my mom had compassion and love for others. She had raised me to not judge anyone, not for any reason, no matter what they looked like, no matter what they acted like. She certainly lived out 1 Samuel 16:7, which says “The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

Many of you here know how true this is. How many co-workers, youth, and others did she reach with her love and compassion? She very easily lived out 1 Corinthians 9:22, I will just read it: “To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some.” She struggled through her doubts so that with compassion and love she could help others struggle through their doubts that others might be saved.

She learned to live out James 4:9, to “[become] wretched and mourn and weep. [And to] Let [her] laughter be turned to mourning and [her] joy to gloom” so that others would come to know the same Savior she knows.

And as verse 10 says, she learned to “Humble [herself] before the Lord, and [she is exalted].” I think needing to be moved to a larger hospital room to fit all of the guests, and the people sitting here and lining the halls attests to, she has been exalted. And for all of us who know Jesus, we will one Glorious Day see her again.

[What I would have said, but had written down]

My parents have been through many fires and trials in life, and they have grown to live Jude, verses 20-23, “But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.“

My parents have made it very difficult to do life better than them. I just look forward to that Glorious Day when we all get to reunite with our Lord and remember all of our stories together.

2014
08/19
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What Kind of Follower Are You?

Follow the call of wisdom and head to Proverbial Thought!

Jesus said to many people, “Follow me.”

When He said it to Matthew (Matthew 9:9), we read that Matthew pulled out his smart phone, opened his Facebook app, found “Jesus of Nazareth”, and clicked “Add Friend”. Then he switched to the Twitter app, found @JesusofNazarethMessiah, and clicked “Follow”.

And the world was changed forever! @MatthewLevi and his 11 closest friends re-tweeted and shared everything @JesusofNazarethMessiah tweeted and posted, and lives were changed as all of their followers re-tweeted and shared everything again and again.

Then they all went out for a cup of over-priced coffee to talk about it.

. . .

Or maybe it happened differently? Maybe Jesus expects more from those who follow Him?

Is it enough to follow @JesusofNazareth on Twitter? Is it enough to “Like” or “Friend” Jesus Christ on Facebook? (For the record, I do these!)

Perhaps Jesus expects more of us. Perhaps being a Christian calls for a greater commitment than clicking “Like” or “Follow”.

Perhaps Jesus expects us to change our entire lifestyle and literally follow Him: become like Him, think like Him, walk in His footsteps.

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done. Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”
Matthew 16:24-28, ESV

2014
07/29
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The Writing on My Wall

Col3_12-17 framedAnother friendly reminder that Proverbial Thought is replaying and renewing commentary on the book of Proverbs! Also, the first book, Proverbial Thought, with chapters 1-10, was just published by Parson’s Porch!

In the first apartment I rented in Arizona with a friend I printed and framed a passage from Colossians and hung it on the wall. It followed me when I got married into four different apartments, and now it hangs on a wall in our house.

Perhaps you can see by the image that it is Colossians 3:12-17:

Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

To quote so many other people …

‘Nuff said. (Amen.)

2014
04/08
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Protection Through Encouragement

Encourage your soul with some wisdom from Proverbial Thought!

12 Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. 13 But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end …
Hebrews 3:12-14, NASB

This will be short and sweet today.

Relationships are very important. The Bible is all about God’s desire for relationships with us through His Son!

Therefore, I encourage you today to encourage each other.

Call your friends and family to tell them you love them.

Share Christ with family and friends who may not know Him.

Lift each other up in prayer, and tell those for whom you pray that you are praying for them!

Be with friends (“in spirit” if need be) who need friends: an ear, a shoulder, a helping hand.

Just love those who are close to you!

Take the time today to show those who are close to you that you care!

Remember: God loves you!

2013
10/22
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Getting Out for a Walk

Do not stray from knowledge; rather find wisdom through Proverbial Thought!

12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.

14 Do everything without grumbling or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky 16 as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain. 17 But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. 18 So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.
Philippians 2:12-18

Needing to Go for a Walk

Last week I wrote about my dog and God’s control over our lives. I return to the topic of my dog this week.

My little puppy is a joy to have around . . .

. . . especially when he begins to make a lot of noise.

. . . especially when he nips at our hands and heels.

. . . especially when he tears at furniture and furnishings.

. . . especially when he destroys things.

Usually, there is a simple fix: he just needs to go for a walk!

When all he does is get fed and hang around the home, eventually things build up inside that must be released. He needs to walk around, meet with others, and “release” all that is locked up inside. Only then does he behave well.

Needing to Go for a Walk

We can get the same way in the Church.

Many people grumble and make a lot of noise about what they do not like or how they think things should run.

Many people complain about others, and they begin to gossip and fight.

Many people tear apart relationships and congregations over meaningless squabbles.

Many people destroy their own or their families lives.

You may already know where this is going:

The biggest problem with many in the Church is that they do not get out of the Church enough.

They sit in their chairs and get fed, and they are surrounded by (and even help) others who are constantly being fed. Yet, they almost never step outside to meet others and share what they have been fed and thus lead them to salvation.

14 Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about them: “See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones 15 to judge everyone, and to convict all of them of all the ungodly acts they have committed in their ungodliness, and of all the defiant words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”16 These people are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage.

17 But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. 18 They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” 19 These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.

20 But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.

22 Be merciful to those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.
Jude 1:14-23

When we hold onto all of the good things God has given us, even attempting to keep His Holy Spirit to ourselves, what really builds up inside is our own selfishness and pride. We build our sin instead of righteousness.

Then we lash out and complain.

All we need to is go Walk.

2013
05/14
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Out for a Walk

Be counted among the wise and go read the wisdom found at Proverbial Thought.

Out for WalkiesWP_20130323_002

I currently live in an apartment, for a couple more months, at least. We eagerly await the day we can move into our new home.

Living in an apartment with a dog requires taking many walks for exercise and “potty breaks”.

As we walk along together, I let my puppy scamper around wherever he wishes in the grass and rocks, even letting him choose where he “does his business” on our mini-journey.

Sometimes, he gets a hold of a bone of some sort, a plant with spines or bad fluids inside, or a piece of garbage. I have to take his “treat” out of his mouth, even though he does not care for me doing so and would rather keep this seeming “prize”.

Sometimes, he rolls through something, such as another dog’s waste or some mud. This requires taking a bath as soon as we are back at the apartment, even though he does not care for it at the time and seems to prefer his new smell.

Sometimes he begins to stray into the parking lot, driving lanes, or even the road. I have to pull him back, even though he does not care about it nor necessarily understand why.

No matter what, though, I give him some freedom to choose where he goes on our path. However, I am the one ultimately in control of the path we take. He chooses some of his stops, but I am the one leading the way (even if it sometimes looks like he is!) to get him where I want when I want. When we eventually move into our new home, he will have more freedom to choose when he goes outside.

Human WalkiesWP_20130329_070

In their hearts humans plan their course,
but the Lord establishes their steps.
Proverbs 16:9

This is not a debate about theologies. Many of the soteriological theologies agree with what I am about to express.

God treats us much in the same way.

While we live on this Earth, God gives us some freedom of choice in many areas.

We often choose to put things into our minds and bodies that harm us, make our minds, bodies, and souls sick. Sometimes, God has to help us, but it can hurt, be uncomfortable, or even be embarrassing. It is for our benefit to be made healthy and whole.

We often choose to put ourselves in situations that sully our character or reputation. Sometimes, God has to wash us, but it can hurt, be uncomfortable, or even be embarrassing. It is for our benefit to be made clean and pure.

We often choose to stray from the path of righteousness. Sometimes, God has to pull us back to save us, but it can hurt, be uncomfortable, or even be embarrassing. It is for our benefit to be made holy and righteous.

Every step of the way, though we make some choices, God is leading the way. He knows our choices before we make them, but He is in the business of redemption and grace. He leads along the path of life, until He finally takes us to our new Home with Him.

2013
05/07
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Unwelcoming Jesus

Do not be a fool, and go get some wisdom over at Proverbial Thought!

Jesus Anointed by a Sinful Woman

36 When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37 A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. 38 As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.

39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”

40 Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”

“Tell me, teacher,” he said.

41 “Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”

43 Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.”

“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.

44 Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”

48 Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

49 The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”

50 Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
Luke 7:36-50, NIV

Christianity is the most popular religion in the United States of America. In fact, approximately 74% of Americans claim to follow some form of Christianity (found at census.gov).

That is amazing! 74%! That is about three-quarters (3/4) of those living in the USA!

How well do we live up to this?

Welcome or Unwelcome?

Many people look to this passage and Luke and see the love and faith displayed by this woman in Jesus as Messiah.

Most times this passage is used to show how God’s love and grace goes to all people, but those who are painfully aware of their sin are those who are most grateful for the forgiveness they are given.

However, look at what is said about the two people most interested in Jesus here.

“Sinful Woman”:

“she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair”
“this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet”
“she has poured perfume on my feet”

Simon:

“one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him”
“You did not give me any water for my feet”
“You did not give me a kiss”
“You did not put oil on my head”

Simon, a religious leader, comparable to a pastor today, invited Jesus into his home for dinner.

Typically, when you have a guest, you greet them, then you offer something such as a place to put shoes or jackets.

In this case, Simon should have greeted his Guest with a kiss (on the cheek or the lips or, for you Baptists and Nazarenes, with the hands in the form of a good handshake). He then should have offered at least some water to clean His feet and/or some lotion or perfume after having walked around in the sun all day.

Instead, Simon expected his Guest to take care of himself (except for the food, of course). His real intention was to either find out more of this so-called Messiah or to look important for having this great teacher in his home.

Simon disregarded all forms of respect and love to look important. He did not treat Jesus as a welcome guest.

A Land of “Simon the Pharisees”?

How many Americans (or christians from around the world) treat Jesus the same way?

I am sure there are honest people out there who are doing the best they can, and perhaps they are simply living by what they have been taught.

If you look around at this nation, there are a lot of people who invite Jesus into their houses, but they ignore Him most of the time.

We have athletes who thank their Lord Jesus Christ after every game; but they sleep around with various partners, get into drugs and alcohol, or lose all of their money to frivolous and/or dangerous things.

We have politicians who pray in the name of Jesus, but they lie, cheat, and steal from their constituents and government on a regular basis.

We have preachers who use Jesus as a reason for a 501(c)3 status (tax-exempt) and promote a different gospel of good feelings and good intentions.

We have churches as fancy as country clubs where people carry their Bibles to look good and holy, but the only time they spend with Jesus is an hour on Sunday mornings and maybe on Wednesday nights.

We have committees and groups who promote social justice and stopping the liberals/conservatives from destroying the fabric of American society, but they lack love for some of the very people who need love the most.

Remember …

Those who look good or know all the answers tend to be the ones who invite Jesus in to their homes, but it is the people who serve Jesus who are forgiven and accepted by God.

How do you love Jesus? By expecting some of the glory or by humbling yourself and serving others?

2013
04/30
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Weekend Words & Sunday Stanzas – 04/28/2013

Learn patience and wisdom by going to Proverbial Thought.

Last week I shared a poem about the greatest evidence of love ever shown.

This week is about our response!

Your love amazes me
You fill my senses
and move my spirit
how can i not respond
to an awesome Creator
Who loves me so much
Who loves us all
that He created a universe
and put it in motion
just to come inside it
to create us
to join us
to know us
how can i not respond

2013
04/28
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