CLEAN HANDS

CLEAN HANDS

Psalm 18:20-24 The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me. For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God. For all his judgments were before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me. I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity. Therefore hath the LORD recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.

  Psalm 18:20-24 mentions “Clean hands” twice. I was reminded of how the last several years I worked I repeatedly told employees to “Wash your hands, wash your hands, wash your hands!” Early in my nursing career I learned how important clean hands were in preventing the spread of infections.

  Early in my life I had learned how important a clean life should be. Our grandfather frequently reminded us to “Avoid all appearance of evil.” [1Thes.5:22] Just as clean hands prevent the spread of infections; clean lives prevent the spreads of sin.

Leslie Nivens

A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE

A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE

Monday, August 04, 2014

The following is written from notes taken and thoughts provoked by one of Pastor Paul Marine’s Sunday sermons.  (Sunday, August 4, 2014)

Psalm [MKJV] 103:1-22 A Psalm of David. Bless Jehovah, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name. …

Deuteronomy [MKJV] 30:19-20  I call Heaven and earth to record today against you. I have set

before you life and death, blessing and cursing. Therefore, choose life, so that both you and your

seed may live, so that you may love Jehovah your God, and that you may obey His voice, and that you

may cling to Him. For He is your life and the length of your days, so that you may dwell in the land which

Jehovah swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give it to them.

  There is a considerable difference between praising and blessing. If we bless we typically also praise. We however can and do at times praise without blessing.

  Praise is words, heartfelt appreciation. It is done verbally and/or written in sentence and/or song.

  Blessing is mental study with therein serious meditation producing decisiveness leading to physical action, the mental commonly being laziest at in implementation. (How often do we even bother to look up His Word verses referred to in devotionals, essays, books?)

  To illustrate distinction: An individual appreciates their rural community and does not hesitate to say so at every opportunity. Another individual appreciates the same community, often says so, but goes beyond praise, studies and qualifies as an EMT so as to serve as an unpaid member of ambulance crew of community VFD (volunteer fire dept).

  Again, we may praise, but without actually blessing in Biblical sense, especially not as does God.

  When God praises, it is when a person or people have blessed Him.

  Another side of this is when we refuse to bless God. Not doing so we very much live under His general curse brought upon us by Adam refusing to bless God. (Gen.3; Ex.20:1-6; Deut.4:24 [Heb.12:28-29]; Ps.81:9-12; Jn.3:16-18; Jam.4:4-6)

  After Pastor’s sermon I am left with the examining question “Am I singing better than I’m sojourning?”  EBB4

AFTER ALL: COMMONALITY

AFTER ALL: COMMONALITY

Friday, January 04, 2019

  Several of my cousins have done considerable research and compilation of family history. Their efforts were not limited to paper chases for at times it was physical location of well kept or weedy cemeteries and probing therein. I greatly appreciate their investment of time, energy, and willingness to share. Reading over the anthology is interesting.

  I learned:

·         Through the centuries our Heinz 57 developed.

·         Surnames were often changed or spelled differently, sometimes seemingly for no other reason than whim.

·         In ye olde days apprentices, and sometimes journeymen, weren’t allow to marry until they qualified as a master. This often resulted in their children at their wedding.

·         There were otherwise lusty lads and lassies that produced illegitimate children, a family writer deeming one female “the little girl that couldn’t say no.” resulting in 5 illegitimate children, with at number 3 the local villagers forming an unsuccessful mob, but with the pastor writing a definite letter of condemnation. And then on June 20, 1807, Anna married Peter.

·         One relation lived his life as an Orangeman in a Catholic family. It’s rumored he was helped out of Ireland by the Constabulary, though more likely it was An Gorta Mor, the potato famine.

·         Some had very large families. Adult and child mortality commoner than now.

·         Several lived on the poor side. Most lived average. A few had wealth and education.

·         Some married couples with children lived with relatives. A few all or most of their life.

·         Some loved a good joke, even to perpetrating a family myth based in a bit of truth.

·         During the great European plague one large branch of family mysteriously survived untouched.

·         They had quite a variety of individual occupations, but at times grouped as cowherders, shepherds, keepers of forest, carpenters of buildings and ships, railroaders, plumbers, fitters, compounders et al.

  A diverse family history it is. But there is a commonality: As eventually shall also we -- they kept their unavoidable Hebrews 9:27 prior arrangement. 

EBB4

THE TRUMPET OF JERICHO

THE TRUMPET OF JERICHO

Thursday, January 03, 2019

John 14:21-31 Whoever knows and obeys my commandments is the person who loves me. Those who love me will have my Father's love, and I, too, will love them and show myself to them." Judas (not Iscariot) asked Jesus, "Lord, what has happened that you are going to reveal yourself to us and not to the world?" Jesus answered him, "Those who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will go to them and make our home with them. A person who doesn't love me doesn't do what I say. I don't make up what you hear me say. What I say comes from the Father who sent me. "I have told you this while I'm still with you. However, the helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything. He will remind you of everything that I have ever told you. "I'm leaving you peace. I'm giving you my peace. I don't give you the kind of peace that the world gives. So don't be troubled or cowardly. You heard me tell you, 'I'm going away, but I'm coming back to you.' If you loved me, you would be glad that I'm going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I am. "I'm telling you this now before it happens. When it does happen, you will believe. The ruler of this world has no power over me. But he's coming, so I won't talk with you much longer. However, I want the world to know that I love the Father and that I am doing exactly what the Father has commanded me to do. Get up! We have to leave."

  Fear will hinder. It will produce a stumbling life gait. It will make you sick. Fear could result in death, it has.

  In the interim between The Great War (WWI) and WWII the Germans developed the highly effective Junkers JU-87 Stuka single engine dive bomber manned by a pilot and radio/gunner. Its effectiveness was magnified by a loud air driven under body siren they Biblically deemed The Trumpet of Jericho. The piercing sound of the steeply diving accurate bomber terrified civilian and soldier alike. One general reported that his men simply froze in place without cover, vulnerable to the blasts. They stopped firing their weapons and stood defenselessly gawking; a fitting picture of us when we live in fear apart from God’s provision of peace.

EBB4

PS. Ironically the Germans learned modern dive bombing techniques through stunt pilot Ernst Udet after as a guest he observed the USA Navy developing and practicing them. Encouraged by Nazi Herman Goring Udet demonstrated the techniques to German pilots.

THE TRUMPET OF JERICHO

THE TRUMPET OF JERICHO

Thursday, January 03, 2019

John 14:21-31 Whoever knows and obeys my commandments is the person who loves me. Those who love me will have my Father's love, and I, too, will love them and show myself to them." Judas (not Iscariot) asked Jesus, "Lord, what has happened that you are going to reveal yourself to us and not to the world?" Jesus answered him, "Those who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will go to them and make our home with them. A person who doesn't love me doesn't do what I say. I don't make up what you hear me say. What I say comes from the Father who sent me. "I have told you this while I'm still with you. However, the helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything. He will remind you of everything that I have ever told you. "I'm leaving you peace. I'm giving you my peace. I don't give you the kind of peace that the world gives. So don't be troubled or cowardly. You heard me tell you, 'I'm going away, but I'm coming back to you.' If you loved me, you would be glad that I'm going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I am. "I'm telling you this now before it happens. When it does happen, you will believe. The ruler of this world has no power over me. But he's coming, so I won't talk with you much longer. However, I want the world to know that I love the Father and that I am doing exactly what the Father has commanded me to do. Get up! We have to leave."

  Fear will hinder. It will produce a stumbling life gait. It will make you sick. Fear could result in death, it has.

  In the interim between The Great War (WWI) and WWII the Germans developed the highly effective Junkers JU-87 Stuka single engine dive bomber manned by a pilot and radio/gunner. Its effectiveness was magnified by a loud air driven under body siren they Biblically deemed The Trumpet of Jericho. The piercing sound of the steeply diving accurate bomber terrified civilian and soldier alike. One general reported that his men simply froze in place without cover, vulnerable to the blasts. They stopped firing their weapons and stood defenselessly gawking; a fitting picture of us when we live in fear apart from God’s provision of peace.

EBB4

PS. Ironically the Germans learned modern dive bombing techniques through stunt pilot Ernst Udet after as a guest he observed the USA Navy developing and practicing them. Encouraged by Nazi Herman Goring Udet demonstrated the techniques to German pilots.

"LORD, BE WITH ...

“LORD, BE WITH …”

Wednesday, January 02, 2019

2Timothy 3:16-17 [ESV]  All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

  Indeed, as followers of Christ, we are to pray for one another. (Jam.5:16) And we have the model prayer presented by Jesus (Mt.6:13; Lk.11:4), plus there is much else on the topic in His Word, the Bible. Deviating from His teaching is problematic as doing so is a violation of trust. There is a prayer preface that is in this category.

  The church prayer meeting was made up of those with needs and those that deeply care about others. After listing the sick, financially needy, those seeking employment, sons and daughters in the military, wayward children and spouses, and other cares, they began praying.

  A number of prayers repeatedly began “Lord, be with …”. . . seriously intent on caring but nonetheless distrusting God. How so?

  Praying “Lord, be with …” disregards the truth of the 23^rd Psalm and God’s promise of “I will never leave or forsake you”. (Deut.31:6; Josh.1:5; 1Chron.28:20; Heb.13:5) God is with His John 1:12 children! There is no need to ask for what absolutely is. “Lord, be with …” is a denial of the Truth whether it is done deliberately or in ignorance of God’s Word.

  I pray that those doing so, whether pastor or parishioner, will cease and desist.

EBB4

THE DISTRACTION OF NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS

THE DISTRACTION OF NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS

Tuesday, January 01, 2019

   Matthew [GW] 5:33-37 [Jesus explained] "You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, 'Never break your oath, but give to the Lord what you swore in an oath to give him.' But I tell you don't swear an oath at all. Don't swear an oath by heaven, which is God's throne, or by the earth, which is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, which is the city of the great King. And don't swear an oath by your head. After all, you cannot make one hair black or white. Simply say yes or no. Anything more than that comes from the evil one.

   Romans 7:18-25 [Apostle Paul wrote] I know that nothing good lives in me; that is, nothing good lives in my corrupt nature. Although I have the desire to do what is right, I don't do it. I don't do the good I want to do. Instead, I do the evil that I don't want to do. Now, when I do what I don't want to do, I am no longer the one who is doing it. Sin that lives in me is doing it. So I've discovered this truth: Evil is present with me even when I want to do what God's standards say is good. I take pleasure in God's standards in my inner being. However, I see a different standard at work throughout my body. It is at war with the standards my mind sets and tries to take me captive to sin's standards which still exist throughout my body. What a miserable person I am! Who will rescue me from my dying body? I thank God that our Lord Jesus Christ rescues me! So I am obedient to God's standards with my mind, but I am obedient to sin's standards with my corrupt nature.

  Resolutions make for great material for comedians, but for many people they’re not a laughing matter. Failing at resolution can produce guilt, disgust, discouragement [rob of courage, leaving fearful], or even despair.

  How many resolutions are made for good reasons, but not the most important reason?

  To illustrate, let’s consider what is probably the most common oath taken every year: “I’m going to lose weight this year.” Or more clearly defined “I’m going to lose XX pounds this year.” Or the even yet more defined, “I’m going to lose XX pounds a month for the next 12 months.”

  Losing weight is certainly a healthy goal for many of us Americans, but for what reason, to what gain?

  Are our resolutions based in our ego-centric corrupt nature or the standards of Romans 12:1-3?

I don’t like the way I look.

I’m tired of wardrobe problems.

The way I’m going the only thing I won’t have to donate to the thrift store is my knit hat.

I want to be able to _________ again.

My weight is affecting my sex life.

People make fun of me.

Compared to me, all my family and friends are trim.

I’ve got GERD, hypertension, bad cholesterol, diabetes...

I huff and puff and tire too easily.

After eating I have difficulty staying awake.

And then there’s _______________________________.

 

  Or is our resolve primarily spiritually gathered from God’s Word in the desire to honor, glorify, and please our King? If not, we continue to live a distracted life . . . with resolutions doing no more than adding to the stress and confusion.

  Let us beware of the distracting disturbance of oaths made but not kept.

  Let our word sincerely be, Yes, yes; No, no; for anything is more than this is devilish says our Lord.  EBB4