February Meditation

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" height=126 style=" border-bottom: 1px solid #000000;" BGCOLOR="#FFFFCC" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="705" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 116 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="age"><B><IMG SRC="06cb16b0.jpg" border=0 width="177" height="107" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><bR> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="1" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="489" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#333300" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="NONE" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" BGCOLOR=#FFCCB2 > <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#FFCCB2 HEIGHT= 49 WIDTH="49"><div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="age"><B><IMG SRC="03f0e0e0.png" border=0 width="14" height="14" 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Albums"><B><U><IMG SRC="03a0e0e0.png" border=0 width="14" height="14" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></B></A></FONT></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" height=354 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div>   <A NAME="feb_1"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="382" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFFBF0 HEIGHT= 168 ><NOBR><div> Psalm 80:17, 18<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >  </FONT></div> <div> Let Your hand be on </div> <div> the Man of Your right hand, </div> <div> on the Son of man </div> <div> <I>whom</I> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >You have made strong for Yourself. </FONT></div> <div> So we will not go back from You; </div> <div> make us live, </div> <div> and we will call on Your name. </div> <bR> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div>         Psalm <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Calisto MT" >80 </FONT>is an unusual Old Testament passage.  It is one in which we can clearly see a reference to Christ in the light of one name He called Himself in the gospel accounts- "Son of man".  Besides all the times Ezekiel is called "son of man", Daniel <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Calisto MT" >7:13</FONT> is the only other passage where the phrase is a clear reference to Christ; yet Christ made it His key self-designation.  Our Psalm would seem to be another reason why He did this.</div> <div>     Notice the cause and effect in the prayer the psalmist prays.  <I>When </I>God works mightily through Christ, <I>then  </I>God's people will not commit apostasy.  <I>When </I>Christ acts powerfully, <I>then </I>His people will not be victims of their own weakness.</div> <div>     When we pray seeking revival, WE are telling God that, as we turn <B>to </B>Him, only HE can keep us from turning away <B>from </B>Him.  Indeed, any turning towards God we do is also made dependent on His power ("O God, turn us again", v. <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Calisto MT" >3, 7, 19</FONT>).</div> <div>     Let us ask, then:  do <I>we </I>feel that degree of dependence on God in prayer- that we are totally cast upon His aid and are otherwise helpless?</div> <div>     Secondly, let us ask:  do we feel that our whole situation is that desperate- that we are dangerously adrift from God and subjected to all kinds of peril until He returns us safely to the sheepfold from which we have wandered?  It's hard to pray that way.  It's an admission that things <I>aren't</I>  hunky-dory in Church-land, that all is not well with me personally.  No one wants to be the first to pray that way and stay that way until the Shepherd comes to rescue us again.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> ssvwv]vwv]vtv]vwv]vwvss</div> <bR> <div>  <A NAME="feb_2"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="302" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFFBF0 HEIGHT= 105 WIDTH="290"><div> Psalm 130:1<FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >  </FONT></div> <div> Out of the depths </div> <div> I have cried to You, </div> <div> O Jehovah. </div> <bR> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div>     "Depths" is man's natural condition.  Man has 'dug himself a hole' by sinning; it is from the depths of this hole that those blessed with understanding cry upwards.  Those who perceive no depths do not know who they are.  They ignore/reject God's testimony concerning them.</div> <bR> <div>  <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Georgia" >Psalm 130:2</FONT><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >  O Master, hear my voice; O let Your ears attend to the voice of My pleadings. </FONT></div> <bR> <div>     "Pleadings" come from someone in need.</div> <div>     And why would someone expect to be heard in prayer if he did not come with pleadings?  The common "Give us a nice day" prayers are certainly suspect.  God doesn't even have to acknowledge that kind of prayer.  God is already sending rain and sunshine in His goodness.  The 'nice day' petitioner seems to come short of even that basic knowledge; he certainly reflects no alarm at the depths sin has dug for him.  No, the true pray-er does not come with any sense of presumption that things are alright:</div> <bR> <div>  <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Georgia" >Psalm 130:3</FONT><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >  If You should mark iniquities- O Yah, who should stand, Master? </FONT></div> <bR> <div>     This would be an implicit cardinal sin in most Christian prayers.  We're not supposed to talk about our sins!  Jesus already took care of that problem!  I'm certainly not supposed to mention any possible separation between me and God.  Why, that's tantamount to doubting my salvation!</div> <div>     Yet the Psalms are given specifically as patterns for our prayers.  And how is it unChristian to acknowledge my hopelessness outside of Christ?  I was utterly dependent on Him for life the day of my conversion ...  Nothing has changed today.</div> <div>     In fact, the thought of forgiveness is supposed to invoke fear!</div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Georgia" > </FONT><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Georgia" >Psalm 130:4</FONT><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >  But </FONT><I>there is</I> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >forgiveness with You, that You may be feared. </FONT></div> <bR> <div>     Again, banish the thought (says the modern Christian) that we should actually fear God because He extends forgiveness!  No!  He's making Himself more <I>accessible </I>by forgiveness, not driving us away with some primitive fear of the Almighty!</div> <div>     Ah, how little we understand forgiveness!  One of the great benefits of the book of Revelation is its view of the Temple in Heaven, particularly the place where atonement was made- the Ark of the Covenant, within the Holy of Holies:</div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Georgia" > </FONT><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Georgia" >Rev 11:19</FONT>  And the <U>temple</U> of God was <U>opened</U> in Heaven, and there was seen in His temple the <U>ark of His covenant</U>, and there occurred <U>lightnings</U> and voices, and thunders and an earthquake, and a great hail. </div> <bR> <div>     By common Christian concensus, you would think that the sight of the Ark of the Covenant would be accompanied by a smiling face of God, not thunder and lightning!</div> <div>     Where did we get our soteriology (doctrine of salvation) anyway ?  Same place we got our anthropology (doctrine of man).  We never learned how deep our sin problem was- our depths- so we never figured the cross was all that weighty a bridge.  Oh sure, we couldn't have gotten across on our own, but, after all, the finish line was always in view.  God never meant to keep us in any suspense.</div> <div>     So the Psalms are relegated to the realms of antiquity:  nice expressions of holy men <I>before  </I>God made everything so accessible and comforting.  We only read them now to see how much <I>better  </I>a deal <I>we  </I>have!</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> v]vzv]vzv]vzv]vzv]vzv]vzv]v</div> <bR> <div>  <A NAME="feb_3"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="324" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFFBF0 HEIGHT= 84 ><NOBR><div> Psalm 130:4<FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >  </FONT></div> <div> But <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#444444" FACE="Georgia" ><I>there is</I></FONT> forgiveness with You, </div> <div> that You may be feared. </div> <bR> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div>     We are to <I>fear </I>God based on His forgiveness?  Strange concept to our ears.</div> <div>     We bow in the presence of one so great that He takes complete mastery over what had completely mastered us.</div> <div>     <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Brush Script MT" >We bow</FONT>- in our fear and honor of God; our knowledge that there is none like Him; our knowledge that there is none His equal; our knowledge that there is none- not even His enemies- but such as He holds together.</div> <div>     <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Brush Script MT" >He takes complete mastery:</FONT>  Jesus declares, "Your sins are forgiven", and it is done.  He was the offended party, the giver of the Law we had broken.  He alone had the prerogative to forgive.  Furthermore, His forgiveness is not merely a merciful decision to forego our rightful prosecution, but a ridding of the sin that clung to us like our natural skin, that flowed from us like our exhaling.</div> <div>     <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Brush Script MT" >He masters what had completely mastered us</FONT>- sin.  We were thoroughly in the grip of sin.  Not our least action or tiniest motive was free of sin's infection.  Even the good we did was entirely tainted with ignorance of the true God; we therefore acted apart from His glory.  And it seems we only begin to see how utterly selfish our every nuance of thought and feeling are.  </div> <div>     But that which held us like the night holds darkness does not hold God or stand against Him.  He assaulted sin as a man under the Law.  He overcame sin by His obedience as a man.  He assailed sin's grip on us as a sacrifice.  He overwhelmed sin as the risen Lamb of God.  </div> <bR> <div>     A true Christian who does not fear God for His forgiveness?</div> <div>     Who has heard of such a thing?</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> ssvwv]vwv]vtv]vwv]vwvss</div> <bR> <div>  <A NAME="feb_4"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="277" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFFBF0 HEIGHT= 105 ><NOBR><div> Psalm 130:5<FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >  </FONT></div> <div> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >I wait </FONT><I>for</I> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >Jehovah. </FONT></div> <div> My soul waits, </div> <div> and in His Word I hope. </div> <bR> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div>     I wait for Jehovah.</div> <div>     I am <I>looking forward</I>  to God's dealings.</div> <div>     That means that I am not necessarily expecting something right now.  Right this minute, I am content to wait.  I know He is coming, that His intervention is inevitable, so I can wait.</div> <div>     However, I do not wait lazily.  I do not wait complacently.  I understand what He is bringing and what I am missing until He comes:</div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Georgia" > </FONT><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Georgia" >Psalm 130:6</FONT><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >  My soul </FONT><I>waits</I> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >for Jehovah more than the watchers for morning. </FONT></div> <bR> <div>     More than those who have passed the hours of darkness waiting for their shift to end at dawn, I have waited for Jehovah and His help.  I wait with longing.</div> <div>     But though the psalmist longinly waits, He is not doubting.  Though he has in his possession no evidence  of Jehovah's answer to his present need, He still calls confidently upon all Israel to join him in the praises of the God whom he knows is his aid:</div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Georgia" > </FONT><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Georgia" >Psalm 130:7</FONT><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >  O let Israel hope in Jehovah!  For with Jehovah </FONT><I>there is</I><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" > mercy, and with Him </FONT><I>is</I> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >plentiful redemption. </FONT></div> <bR> <div>     What is the need in <I>your </I>life at the moment?</div> <div>     If you realize that your <I>perceived </I>need is secondary to your need for <I>God</I>, that an answer otherwise would be meaningless- blessed are you!, for those who yearn for God Himself in their need are hoping on the very one whose character promises assistance to the humble, needy one.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> v]vzv]vzv]vzv]vzv]vzv]vzv]v</div> <bR> <div>  <A NAME="feb_5"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="401" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFFBF0 HEIGHT= 84 ><NOBR><div> Proverbs 3:5<FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >  </FONT></div> <div> Trust in Jehovah with all your heart, </div> <div> and do not lean upon your own intelligence. </div> <bR> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div>     How can we learn to trust God if we do not learn to <I>dis</I>trust ourselves?</div> <div>     That is what "do not lean on your own insight" means- to <I>distrust</I>  yourself.</div> <div>     But how can we learn to distrust ourselves if we don't find out <I>how untrustworthy we are</I>?</div> <bR> <div>     There are two basic ways to find out how untrustworthy we are:</div> <div>  <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Calisto MT" >1</FONT>)  Come to full conviction of God's testimony about us;</div> <div>  <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Calisto MT" >2</FONT>)  See in our own actions and motives our truly deceitful and lawless ways.</div> <div>     The second testimony depends on the first, of course.  A natural man's self-doubt without God's testimony will be partial, inconsistent, and ultimately much too lenient.</div> <div>     As to the first testimony:</div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Georgia" >Jer 17:9</FONT><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >  The heart </FONT><I>is</I> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >deceitful above all things, and it is incurable ... </FONT></div> <bR> <div>     If we do not know this about ourselves yet- if we have not found out and agreed in our hearts with this testimony about us- then we<FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Centaur" > </FONT><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Castellar" >are trusting ourselves</FONT> still.</div> <div>     This remains a matter of degrees our whole lives.  To the degree we fall back into self-trust, we are not trusting Jehovah.</div> <div>     Trust in Jehovah involves a conscious, deliberate placing of His ways before us.  Trust in ourselves is what takes place 'accidentally', when we are simply <I>failing </I>to remember Jehovah and His testimonies.</div> <div>     Our lives are usually punctuated by several bitter instances in which our self-trust bears a harvest of thorns which cuts and tears us deeply.  These injections of reality into our brains seem to be sad necessity for most of us who do not have faith to fully receive the raw testimony of Scriptures about who we are.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> ssvwv]vwv]vtv]vwv]vwvss</div> <bR> <div>  <A NAME="feb_6"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="401" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFFBF0 HEIGHT= 84 ><NOBR><div> James 1:14<FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >  </FONT></div> <div> But each one is tempted by his desires, </div> <div> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >being drawn away and seduced </FONT><I>by them</I>.<FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" > </FONT></div> <bR> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <U>The Law of Temptation</U></div> <bR> <div>     What I <I>desire </I>to do amiss <I>will  </I>harm me, even if I cannot or do not carry it out.</div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Georgia" > </FONT><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Georgia" >James 1:15</FONT>  Then when <U>desire</U> has conceived, <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#444444" FACE="Georgia" ><I>it</I> </FONT><U>brings forth sin</U>. And <U>sin</U>, when it is fully formed, <U>brings forth death</U>.<FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" > </FONT></div> <bR> <div>     Wrong desires / attitudes which I do not deal with <I>will lead me</I> into wrong words / acts / states of mind / emotions.</div> <div>     Desires causing destruction are the ones which are actually <B>followed</B>, not those which are <B>resisted</B>.</div> <bR> <div>     The converse of this is that the good I desire to do can only be carried out through Christ.  He, of course, is more than willing to help those to do good who have confided in Him in resisting evil.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> v]vzv]vzv]vzv]vzv]vzv]vzv]v</div> <bR> <div>  <A NAME="feb_7"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="401" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFFBF0 HEIGHT= 84 WIDTH="389"><div> Psalm 128:1<FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >  </FONT></div> <div> Glad <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#444444" FACE="Georgia" ><I>are </I></FONT>all who fear Jehovah, </div> <div> who walk in His ways. </div> <bR> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div>     The fear of God.</div> <div>     Fear is negative motivation.  It is a necessary and helpful force in every area of life.  If something needs avoiding, 'fear' is the broad term covering our proper regard for it.  A plant that stings if we touch it?  Our fear keeps us from its potential harm.</div> <div>     But the fear of God is more than merely negative motivation.  Notice that "glad" are those who fear Jehovah.  Their attitude is positive; they are uplifted by their fear.</div> <div>     This is because they know that all God denies us, He denies us in wisdom and love.  I'm not really missing anything by avoiding the things He forbids.  At least I'm missing nothing I truly want or need (I'm missing heartache, bitterness, regret, and a lot of other 'exciting' consequences).</div> <div>     Furthermore, the fear of God transcends mere negativity in that those who possess it do not merely avoid things.  They "walk in His ways."  They do not simply walk <I>away from</I> other ways; they walk <I>in </I>His ways.  The fear of God has taught them, again, that God is only wise and loving in His commands.  I pursue His commands, then, with gusto.  They are going to lead to fulfillment.  They are going to lead to love of man and love of God.  They are going to lead to self-respect and a good conscience.  </div> <div>     Yes, glad indeed are those who walk within these guidelines!  If we were selling such an instruction manual in the self-help section under a different title, it might be a best seller!  Only men do not want it once they hear it's from God.  He's a killjoy and a glory hog, you know.</div> <div>     But for you who know God better (He <I>is </I>self-centered, but the <I>universe </I><B>is </B>centered around Him; any other stance would be pretentious of Him), be <B>glad </B>to fear Him and walk in His ways today!</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> ssvwv]vwv]vtv]vwv]vwvss</div> <bR> <div>  <A NAME="feb_8"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="401" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFFBF0 HEIGHT= 105 ><NOBR><div> Psalm 128:2<FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >  </FONT></div> <div> For you will eat the labor of your hands. </div> <div> You will be happy, </div> <div> and it will be well with you. </div> <bR> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div>     The book of Ecclesiastes is divided into two major thematic sections.  The second section is only two verses long- the last two verses of the book.  These contain the Final Conclusion of Ecclesiastes.  The first section of the book- chapter one through the first twelve verses of chapter twelve- contain the Intermediate Conclusions.  These are Solomon's exploration of every possible answer to life's riddle <I>besides  </I>fearing and obeying God.  Fearing and obeying God are the Final Conclusion of the book.  Solomon's 'modus operandi' is to take us through seven <I>provisional </I>answers so he can leave us with one <I>permanent  </I>answer.</div> <div>     Solomon's seven Intermediate Conclusions are all variations of one theme:  there's nothing better in life than to eat, drink, and enjoy the labor you find.  The first of the seven Intermediate Conclusions goes like this:</div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Georgia" > </FONT><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Georgia" >Eccl 2:24</FONT><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >  Is it not good that he should eat and drink and make his soul see good in his labor? This I also saw, that it </FONT><I>was</I> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >from the hand of God. </FONT></div> <bR> <div>     And thus Solomon proceeds.  He examines various aspects of life, concludes that they are vanity (meaningless, useless, temporary), and so commends simple ingestion and labor as the best life has to offer.  He goes on to new possibilities and arrives at the same kind of provisional conclusion seven times (albeit with increasing sarcasm).</div> <div>     So apart from the real answer to life- fearing and obeying God- the next best justification for life on earth is simply eating and working.  And these are the very things the psalmist promises to those who fear Jehovah!  So God promises us the best that is available in the spiritual realm <I>and </I>the earthly.</div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Georgia" > </FONT><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Georgia" >1 Tim 4:8</FONT>  For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable to all things, having promise of the <U>present life</U>, <U>and</U> of that which is <U>to come</U>. </div> <bR> <div>     We must remember that we are not being promised an easy life, nor one in which the cupboard is never bare.  God is only promising to provide for us, sometimes, it seems, <I>after </I>the eleventh hour.  Our ability to partake gladly of the good things of life depends completely on our ability to consider necessities <I>enough</I>.  If we have larger expectations, we will surely be disappointed.</div> <div>     But the psalmist is describing one who fears Jehovah (<FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Calisto MT" >128:1</FONT>).  This assumes a certain perspective on life:  one which is dependent, not demanding; one which knows God is good, not one which uses comforts  as the proof of His goodness.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> v]vzv]vzv]vzv]vzv]vzv]vzv]v</div> <bR> <div>  <A NAME="feb_9"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="381" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFFBF0 HEIGHT= 127 ><NOBR><div> Psalm 128:3<FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >  </FONT></div> <div> Your wife <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#444444" FACE="Georgia" ><I>shall be</I></FONT> like a fruitful vine </div> <div> in the sides of your house; </div> <div> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >your children </FONT><I>shall be</I> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >like olive plants </FONT></div> <div> around your table. </div> <bR> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div>     Does God promise earthly benefits to those who honor Him here?  He certainly does.</div> <div>     In our day there is unfortunately a whole counterfeit gospel that judges blessing from God <I>by </I>earthly benefits.  This is surely not a valid test.  Paul was at his spiritual peak when he had the earthly benefit of health withdrawn, <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Calisto MT" >2 </FONT>Cor<FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Calisto MT" >. 12:7, 10.</FONT></div> <div>     <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="BwSymbol" >Furthermore, earthly benefits, such as those named in the Psalm, are specific and not unlimited.  The main limitation on our earthly benefits in the Psalm would seem to be our fear of God:</FONT></div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Georgia" > </FONT><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Georgia" >Psalm 128:1, 2</FONT>  Glad <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#444444" FACE="Georgia" ><I>are </I></FONT>all who <U>fear Jehovah</U>, who walk in His ways.  <U>For you</U> shall surely eat the labor of your hands; you <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#444444" FACE="Georgia" ><I>shall be</I></FONT> happy, and good shall be yours. </div> <bR> <div>    <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="BwSymbol" > If we do not fear God, we should not necessarily expect happiness, the ability to work ("the labor of your hands"), nor the ability to profit from it ("eat the labor...").</FONT></div> <div>     Neither could we expect the family benefits mentioned:  a wife who is a fruitful vine and children around the table.</div> <div>     The wife of the God-fearing man is said to be a fruitful vine "in the sides" of his house.  Many ancient eastern houses had an inner court where the sun could come in on homegrown plants.  This may be very specifically the analogy our Psalm is making to a good wife.  A fruit-bearing vine might easily have been cultivated in a house's inner court.  A good wife is like that vine in several ways:</div> <div>  <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Calisto MT" >1</FONT>)  She is domesticated.  Her place is in the house;</div> <div>  <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Calisto MT" >2</FONT>)  She is faithful.  She grows in her place, prospers, and intends to stay there.  No pinings for  'more than this provincial life' for this gal;</div> <div>  <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Calisto MT" >3</FONT>)  She is fruitful.  God grants her to bear children.</div> <div>     We said that the earthly benefits promised the God-fearer were qualified.  Nevertheless, this is a pretty nice package!  Any sensible man should be delighted at the prospect of receiving such a wife as a boon!  Unfortunately, most men's ideal wife package insists on items which, in the end, are mere window dressing, and, well- you get what you pay for, so to speak.  Happiness is certainly not a long-term part of the selfish man's bargain.</div> <div>     The children of the God-fearing man are said to be like olive plants around his table.  Olives seem to be a symbol for Israel.  This would seem to be an indication that the children would inherit Covenant blessings.  The New Testament promises no less when it says:</div> <bR> <div>  <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Georgia" >1 Cor 7:14</FONT><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >  For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; else your children would be unclean, but now they are holy. </FONT></div> <bR> <div>     <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="BwSymbol" >Children are counted holy, or set apart, by just one believing parent.  This does not mean a child will definitely be a Christian, but he will be set apart from any other upbringing.  The godly man can expect that children moving from Covenant environs (having a Christian parent) into the Covenant itself (the child becoming a Christian) will be the norm.  But at least while they are growing up, his consistent and loving 'indoctrination' (= doctrine going in) in the ways of the Lord will extend to them the blessings of the Covenant under his auspices.</FONT></div> <div>     Earthly benefits?  Oh, yes!  But all on a spiritual basis.  John repeats the principle like this:</div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Georgia" > </FONT><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Georgia" >3 John 1:2</FONT><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >  Beloved, in regard to all things I pray </FONT><I>that</I> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >you prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers. </FONT></div> <bR> <div>     <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="BwSymbol" >Only as our soul prospers (by fearing the Lord) should our earthly circumstances prosper.  But remember again what earthly prosperity is:</FONT></div> <bR> <div>  <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Georgia" >1 Tim 6:8</FONT><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >  But having food and clothing, we will be content. </FONT></div> <bR> <div>     And if it is for our betterment to <I>remove </I>health (Paul's thorn in the flesh), then it IS our earthly advantage God considers when He takes it away.  It just won't feel like it.  God always gives <I>spiritual </I>benefit precedence.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> ssvwv]vwv]vtv]vwv]vwvss</div> <bR> <div>  <A NAME="feb_10"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="381" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFFBF0 HEIGHT= 87 ><NOBR><div> Psalm 128:5<FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >  </FONT></div> <div> ...You shall see the good of Jerusalem </div> <div> all the days of your life. </div> <bR> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div>     This does not promise that Jerusalem will see no evil, but that all the good she enjoys, we, as her inhabitants, will experience.</div> <div>     This may not seem to be promising much, but it is; only we must go back to the real reference point.  It is repeated for us in the prior verse:</div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Georgia" > </FONT><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Georgia" >Psalm 128:4</FONT>  Behold! So shall the man be blessed who <U>fears Jehovah</U>. </div> <bR> <div>     The promise that we will see Jerusalem's good for a long time to come is conditioned upon our fear of God again, just as the benefits in the first part of the Psalm are based on our fear of God mentioned in verse one.</div> <div>     As long as we are fearing God, we will be part of a community thriving with God's blessings.  Those blessings will be self-renewing, or so it will seem.  They will never be exhausted as long as we are fearing God.</div> <div>     When our fear of God drops off to a certain point- well, God's people have spent significant stretches of time in the Babylonian and Assyrian captivities.  They have also been stationed at home base but under enemy tribute.  They did not see the <B>good </B>of Jerusalem even though they were there.  Fear of God is the key.</div> <div>     One benefit flowing from a long stay in a blessed Jerusalem is cited in the last verse of the Psalm:</div> <bR> <div>  <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Georgia" >Psalm 128:6</FONT><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >  Yes, you shall see your children's children... </FONT></div> <bR> <div>     Ah, the blessing of seeing one's grandchildren!  Just ask any grandparent.  But is that 'earthly' benefit still promised in the New Covenant, in our 'spiritual' covenant?</div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Georgia" > Eph 6:2, 3</FONT>  Honor your father and mother (which is the first commandment with a promise),  so that it may be well with you, and that you may live <U>long on the earth</U>. </div> <bR> <div>     Not only is longevity promised in the New Covenant, but it is freely tied to the same type of blessing in the Old Covenant (a 'spiritual' covenant also, then, we might assume), quoted here right from the Ten Commandments!</div> <div>     Honoring one's parents, by the way, is the very first form of God-fearing we are to master in life- the youngest version- assuring we'll be around for the eldest version (grandchildren sightings).</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> v]vzv]vzv]vzv]vzv]vzv]vzv]v</div> <bR> <div>  <A NAME="feb_11"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="381" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFFBF0 HEIGHT= 84 ><NOBR><div> Psalm 128:5<FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >  </FONT></div> <div> ...You shall see the good of Jerusalem </div> <div> all the days of your life. </div> <bR> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div>     How can a man see the good of Jerusalem all the days of his life?</div> <div>     What <I>is </I>Jerusalem?</div> <div>     For the psalmist, Jerusalem was the place of God's choosing, His people's residence.</div> <div>     So for us, Jerusalem is the Church, Christ's body, those who believe in Him.</div> <div>     Will the Church have <I>only </I>good <I>all </I>the days <I>any </I>man's life?</div> <div>     No.</div> <div>     In fact, sometimes it seems she sees predominantly evil- spiritual decline.</div> <div>     But the promise is that those who fear Jehovah will always be directed by God's grace to <I>see </I>the good in the Church <I>wherever  </I>it may be.</div> <div>     One particular good we shall see is mentioned:</div> <bR> <div> Psalm 128:6<FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >  Yes, you shall see your children's children... </FONT></div> <div>     </div> <div>     "Children's children"- a gift bringing us close to the Father's image.  Seeing those <I>begotten </I>by ones whom <I>we </I>begot.  Because we feared God and so sanctified those born to us, we will see the blessings that consequently flowed to them <I>and </I>to their children.</div> <bR> <div>     A great key to truly experiencing the good of Jerusalem in days of decline- days such as we are in today (judging by Biblical ignorance and moral impurity in the Church)- is <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Castellar" >contentedness</FONT>.  </div> <div>     Do you want to <I>see </I>the most good you can see, even when there may seem to be nearly none?  Do you want to be <I>used  </I>in the most good you can be?  Then serve whole-heartedly where God put you.  That is contentedness.  If you only see the taint on the situation everywhere you look, you will discourage yourself from any good for which God might use you.  You will cut off certain avenues for good.  </div> <div>     The discouragement includes the taint you may see on your own family.  If you have an inner scowl because of failures in your family, failures for which you might justly blame yourself, you will be unable to see the good.  </div> <div>     If you are a child of God, He certainly produced good through you.  It cannot be otherwise.  But some of the most important good He works is through your steadfast, believing <I>attitude</I>- the fact that you almost <I>refuse  </I>to accept a negative outcome, it being contrary to the blessing of God.  That kind of spiritual tenacity He loves.  It shows how highly you think of <I>Him</I>.  </div> <div>     We're not talking about calling one thing another.  We're only talking about 'seeing' the good seeds lying beneath the surface of the ground and knowing they must come forth, rising above the thorns, eventually overcoming them.  Nor are we discounting the possibility of a Judas being born to us.  But let not that Judas say that we did not extend every faith in him while he was within our power to bless- even as Jesus did for His Judas.</div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> ssvwv]vwv]vtv]vwv]vwvss</div> <bR> <bR> <div>  <A NAME="feb_12"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="400" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFFBF0 HEIGHT= 84 ><NOBR><div> Psalm 119:96<FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >  </FONT></div> <div> I have seen an end to all perfection; </div> <div> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >Your Commandment </FONT><I>is</I> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >exceedingly broad. </FONT></div> <bR> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div>     We must not impose artificial limitations on the interpretation of Scriptures.</div> <div>     This is commonly done today by maxims such as:</div> <div>    "Every time you read the Bible, you must learn something new about the Lord Jesus Christ, since it is a book meant to reveal Him."</div> <div>     This sounds like very holy advice.</div> <div>     However, think of the poor young saint who takes it at face value.  He reads a passage about honoring his parents, and he is initially blessed by beginning to consider the ways in which he will accord his parents honor.  Suddenly, he remembers the prime rule of Scripture interpretation and realizes to his horror that he has been forgetting to find the Lord Jesus in the passage.  He backtracks and begins to piece together in his mind how the passage reveals something about Christ.  He has soon lost sight of the blessing of his originally intended obedience, and he furthermore comes away rather frustrated and discouraged because he apparently lacks the spirituality to see the Lord Jesus standing plainly in front of him in the text.</div> <div>     He can make matters even worse by taking the problem back to one of the spiritually exalted brothers who taught him the prime principle.  How does the principle work in this passage, he asks.  The brother then proceeds to explain how Jesus honored His Father by laying down His life as a sacrifice in the atonement, and <I>that  </I>is what we are to primarily perceive in the passage.  The young neophyte comes away rather impressed, and somewhat encouraged that there does indeed seem to be a way to see the Lord Jesus in every passage, and he will probably get the hang of it sooner or later.</div> <div>     Now thoroughly lost to him is the simple obedience required of him in the passage.</div> <bR> <div>     What did Jesus say to some other folks whose hermeneutic (principle for interpreting Scripture) nullified "Honor your father and mother"?</div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Georgia" > </FONT><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Georgia" >Mark 7:9 - 13</FONT>  And He said to them, Do you do well to <U>set aside</U> the commandment of God, so that you may keep your own tradition?  For Moses said, "Honor your father and your mother." And, "Whoever curses father or mother, let him die the death."  But <U>you say</U>, If a man shall say to his father or mother, Corban! (that is, A gift <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#444444" FACE="Georgia" ><I>to God</I></FONT>, whatever you may profit by me) and you no longer allow him to do anything toward <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#444444" FACE="Georgia" ><I>his</I> </FONT>father or mother,  <U>making the Word of God of no effect</U> through your tradition which you have delivered. And you do many such things. </div> <bR> <div>     But wait!  Certainly this rebuke would not apply to someone who put Jesus first in Bible study!  How could that be wrong?</div> <div>     Well, what was so wrong about making a contribution towards God's work (Corban) in the above passage?</div> <div>     The fact still remains in both cases that we are left comfortable in our neglect of a plain commandment of God.  And neither case is actually a greater snub of Scriptures than the other.  The 'must-see-Jesus' principle is actually the more dangerous of the two, because one would seem to be a blasphemer to try to unravel it.</div> <bR> <div>     "You do many such things", Jesus said.  People who make mumbo jumbo of Scripture tend to do it with regularity.  There are many tell-tale signs of it.  The most obvious is probably when a passage saying "Do this" ends up saying "Never mind, don't do this."  We have somehow become too spiritual and dedicated to God to just do what He says.  We have to first find the deeper meaning, or avoid legalism, or something of the like.</div> <bR> <div>     Beware!</div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Georgia" > </FONT><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Georgia" >Prov 30:5, 6</FONT><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >  Every word of God </FONT><I>is</I> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >pure; He </FONT><I>is</I> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >a shield to those who put their trust in Him.  Do not add to His Words, lest He reprove you and you be found a liar. </FONT></div> <bR> <div>     'Finding Jesus' in a passage, however legitimate that is, need be no further away than seeking to do what we are told, for He is the one telling us.</div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> vzv]vzv]vzv]vzv]vzv]vzv</div> <bR> <bR> <div>  <A NAME="feb_13"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="480" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFFBF0 HEIGHT= 105 ><NOBR><div> Psalm 5:3<FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >  </FONT></div> <div> My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Jehovah; </div> <div> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >in the morning I will direct </FONT><I>my prayer</I> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >to You, </FONT></div> <div> and I will look up. </div> <bR> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div>     The Scriptures are fairly explicit on many aspects of prayer.  There are do's and don'ts we must follow.  The wise Christian will rejoice at these directions, acknowledging his natural ignorance on any spiritual subject or pursuit.</div> <div>     One specific direction Scriptures give on prayer is that we are to pray in the morning.  Witness the above verse.  Other times of day are specifically mentioned elsewhere, but morning is definitely given as a pattern for our prayer time.</div> <div>     For any who feel that a specific direction to pray in the morning is overly exacting (after all, they can barely get themselves ready for the day, much less have a meaningful prayer time), consider the following:</div> <bR> <div>  <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Georgia" >1 Thessalonians 5:17</FONT><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >  Pray without ceasing. </FONT></div> <bR> <div>     Hmm.  Praying "without omission" (Greek) would include praying in the morning, wouldn't it?  Yet the command to pray all the time doesn't seem as offensive because we can automatically diffuse it in our minds to mean "Get down to praying seriously <I>sometime</I>."  I can always make <I>sometime  </I>later.  The morning is not so easy to defer, being too specific.</div> <div>     Putting our two prayer directions together, we see that we are to have a 'launch pad' of morning prayer in order to put our constant, throughout-the-day prayer 'into orbit'.  This makes perfect sense when we think about it.  </div> <div>     Inertia is a scientific term telling us that "matter ... remains at rest [inert] ... unless acted upon by some external force."  The spacecraft needs a significant boost and expenditure of fuel to rise above the ground.  Likewise, a human soul needs a major infusion of spiritual activity to move itself towards Heaven.  <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Georgia" >Psalm 119:25</FONT><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >   "My soul clings to the dust" </FONT>says the psalmist.  A great shift of soul, moving from inactivity to heavenward activity, is required for us to be other than dust- dwellers.  </div> <div>     Anyone who seeks to pray throughout the day without having first made a substantial connection with God first thing will probably be unsuccessful, or will manage only "give me a nice day" type prayers.</div> <div>     There is a definite sacrifice required to engage in morning prayers.  They will not happen by accident.  If we decide that morning prayer is just too much drudgery to be a direction that's really from God, we will only have confirmed that our souls <I>do </I>indeed <B>cling </B>to the dust.  We're only adding that we're satisfied for them to stay there.</div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> ssvwv]vwv]vtv]vwv]vwvss</div> <bR> <div>  <A NAME="feb_14"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="453" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFFBF0 HEIGHT= 105 ><NOBR><div> Psalm 101:8<FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >  </FONT></div> <div> I will early destroy all the wicked of the land, </div> <div> so that I may cut off all wicked doers </div> <div> from the city of Jehovah. </div> <bR> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div>     David was a king who sought to purge all evil from his kingdom.</div> <div>     Jesus is a king who will succeed in the same pursuit.</div> <div>     I am merely a prince in Jesus' kingdom, but I must purge evil wherever it dwells under my authority.</div> <div>     Psalm <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Calisto MT" >101 </FONT>is a psalm of:</div> <div> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="BwSymbol" ><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011800000000.png" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Personal responsibility:  </FONT><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Georgia" >Psa 101:2</FONT>  I'll <B>act ... </B></div> <div> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="BwSymbol" ><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011800000000.png" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Waiting on God:  </FONT><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Georgia" >Psa 101:2</FONT>  ... O <B>when </B>will You come to me? </div> <div> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="BwSymbol" ><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011800000000.png" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Recognizing God-given boundaries:  </FONT><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Georgia" >Psa 101:2</FONT>  ... I will walk <B>within my house</B> ...</div> <div> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="BwSymbol" ><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011800000000.png" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Purification:  </FONT><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Georgia" >Psa 101:3</FONT>  I will set <B>no worthless thing</B> before my eyes ...</div> <div> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="BwSymbol" ><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011800000000.png" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Honest rejection of contagion:  </FONT><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Georgia" >Psa 101:3</FONT>  ... I have <B>hated </B>the work of those who turn aside; it shall <B>not fasten </B>upon me. </div> <div> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="BwSymbol" ><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011800000000.png" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Specific acts deplored:  </FONT><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Georgia" >Psa 101:5</FONT>  <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#808080" FACE="Georgia" ><I>Whoever</I></FONT> secretly <B>slanders </B>his neighbor ...</div> <div> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="BwSymbol" ><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011800000000.png" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Personal influence maximally utilized for justice:  </FONT><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Georgia" >Psa 101:8</FONT>  I will <B>remove </B>in the morning all the wicked of the land<FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" > </FONT></div> <div> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="BwSymbol" ><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011800000000.png" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">...Even concerning the attitudes of the wicked:  </FONT><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Georgia" ><B>Psa 101:5</B></FONT><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" ><B>  ... </B></FONT>him who has a high <B>look</B> and a proud <B>heart</B>, I will not allow. </div> <div> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="BwSymbol" ><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011800000000.png" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">No isolationism:  </FONT><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Georgia" >Psa 101:6</FONT>  My eyes <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#808080" FACE="Georgia" ><I>shall be</I></FONT> on the faithful of the land, so that they may <B>dwell with </B>me</div> <div> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="BwSymbol" ><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011800000000.png" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Entry rules:  </FONT><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Georgia" >Psa 101:6</FONT>  ... <B>he who walks</B> in a perfect way ... </div> <bR> <div>     <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="BwSymbol" >Are you, as royalty in Jesus' house, exercising the responsibility of your authority?  There's no real authority where these responsibilities are not carried out.</FONT></div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> vzv]vzv]vzv]vzv]vzv]vzv</div> <bR> <div>  <A NAME="feb_15"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="453" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFFBF0 HEIGHT= 109 ><NOBR><div> Psalm 5:8<FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >  </FONT></div> <div> Lead me, O Jehovah, in Your righteousness, </div> <div> because of my enemies; </div> <div> make Your way straight before my face. </div> <bR> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div>     An enemy is a special category of human relationship for me.  It carries special responsibilities on my part.</div> <div>     I cannot afford to avoid thinking about my personal enemies.  They are part of my motivation and prayer to God for my following of God's path.</div> <div>     The worst an enemy can do to me is upset me sufficiently that I am no longer trusting God.  An enemy, from one perspective, is simply a test of that very capacity- will I trust God under duress?</div> <div>     There is a sense in which an enemy merely becomes an 'item' in my prayers.  I do not focus on him so directly that he is distracting my focus from God.  Therefore, the aspects of my enemy that cause me to either fear him or hate him are only gauges by which I can reach a greater concentration of my soul's energies towards God.</div> <div>     I am not allowed to hate my enemies.  The only enemies the psalmist ever hates are God's enemies (Ps. <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Calisto MT" >139:21, 22</FONT>).  Concerning his own enemies, he observes the precept mistakenly thought to have been <I>invented  </I>in the Sermon on the Mount:  he <B>loves </B>his enemies:</div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Georgia" > </FONT><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Georgia" >Psa 109:3 - 5</FONT>  And they surrounded me <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#444444" FACE="Georgia" ><I>with</I> </FONT>words of hatred; and fought against me without a cause.  For <U>my love</U> they are my enemies; but I <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#444444" FACE="Georgia" ><I>am in</I></FONT> prayer.  And they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love. </div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> ssvwv]vwv]vtv]vwv]vwvss</div> <bR> <div>  <A NAME="feb_16"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="403" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFFBF0 HEIGHT= 105 ><NOBR><div> Proverbs 29:25<FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >  </FONT></div> <div> The fear of man brings a snare, </div> <div> but whoever puts his trust in Jehovah </div> <div> shall be set <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#444444" FACE="Georgia" ><I>safely </I></FONT>on  high. </div> <bR> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div>    If my fear of God does not dominate my other fears, I am thinking as an unbeliever:</div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Georgia" >Heb 2:14, 15</FONT>  Since then the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise partook of the same; that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death (that is, the Devil),  and deliver those who through <U>fear of death</U> were all their lifetime subject to <U>bondage</U>. </div> <bR> <div>     All of our earthly concerns become part of our <B>fear of death</B>.  Everything in my life becomes a possession I fear losing, I instinctively grasp to keep.</div> <div>     By the same token, Proverbs <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Calisto MT" >29:25</FONT> above tells us that when our regard for human opinion guides us rather than our regard for God's direction, we are in the trap of unbelievers.  The <B>fear of man</B> defines an unbeliever.</div> <div>     All the human relationships of an unbeliever are part of his fear of man, to whatever degree.  He grades men based on the kind and degree of impression he needs to make on them.  He does this mostly instinctively.  Guiding his activities by human approval or disapproval is the fear of man.</div> <div>     Surprising to many, no doubt, is the discovery that <B>fear </B><I>completely guides every man one way or another</I>.  How exactly I am <I>negatively motivated</I> (a definition of fear) says exactly who I am.</div> <div>     The fear of <B>God </B>is the only fear powerful enough to release us from man's two otherwise insuperable fears- the fear of <B>death </B>and the fear of <B>man</B>.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> vzv]vzv]vzv]vzv]vzv]vzv</div> <bR> <div>  <A NAME="feb_17"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="403" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFFBF0 HEIGHT= 148 ><NOBR><div> Psalm 1:3<FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >  </FONT></div> <div> And he shall be like a tree </div> <div> planted by the rivulets of water </div> <div> that brings forth its fruit in its seasons, </div> <div> and its leaf shall not wither, </div> <div> and all which he does shall prosper. </div> <bR> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <U>Positioning and Pruning</U></div> <bR> <div>     A Christian is compared to a tree.</div> <div>     A tree, for one thing, connotes stability.  A Christian, then, is planted, firm.</div> <div>     In fact, the Christian is literally "planted".  That is, he did not arise by accident.  He was given life and rose from the dust at the time and place of God's choosing.  A Christian is a result of God's gardening decision, so to speak.</div> <div>     The Christian is always planted next to a small stream.  God <I>brings </I>our nourishment to us.  Our roots are watered, our souls nourished, by the Word of God.  That is why the Psalmist had described our <I>continual </I>exposure to God's "instruction" (root meaning of "Law") in the previous verse:</div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Georgia" > </FONT><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Georgia" >Psalm 1:2</FONT>  But his delight <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#444444" FACE="Georgia" ><I>is</I> </FONT>in the Law of Jehovah; and in His Law he meditates <U>day and night</U>. </div> <bR> <div>     The Christian thus situated is the one who has stayed where God put him.  The first verse of the Psalm speaks of three other places where we might have 'transplanted' our tree to our harm:</div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Georgia" > </FONT><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Georgia" >Psalm 1:1</FONT>  Blessed <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#808080" FACE="Georgia" ><I>is</I></FONT> the man who <U>has not</U> wa<U>lk</U>ed in the counsel of the ungodly, and <U>has not</U> st<U>oo</U>d in the way of sinners, and <U>has not</U> s<U>a</U>t in the seat of the scornful. </div> <bR> <div>    In these three cases, the nourishment of God's instructive waters would not be reaching our roots.</div> <div>     When we <I>do </I>manage to stay near the rivulets of water by meditating in Scriptures, we find that we are fruit-bearing trees.  A fruit-bearing tree bears its fruit "in its season", as the verse in the box above states.  Therefore, we are <I>not  </I>bearing fruit all the time.  We know that if we are in someone's garden ("planted"), the gardner must be watching our progress and pruning us to be the most fruit-bearing we can be:</div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Georgia" > </FONT><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Georgia" >John 15:1, 2</FONT>  I am the True Vine, and My Father is the Vinedresser.  Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away. And every one that bears fruit, He <U>prunes</U> it so that it may bring forth more fruit. </div> <bR> <div>     So there is fruit-bearing, then there is fruit-<I>preparing</I>.  Fruit-preparing (pruning) is painful.  Not only that, it is 'anti-fruitful'.  Fruit = abundance; pruning = scarcity, cutting back.  So the only way, apparently, to abundance is through scarcity.  That's alright.  We were generally familiar with that principle from the beginning.  We 'made ourselves <I>scarce</I>' when ungodly advice was given, when a sinners' road was opened to us, and when a mocker's seat was offered us.  </div> <div>     But the pain of pruning can seem personal. It's hard not to imagine that God is out to get us <I>rather than</I> that He is preparing us for great things.</div> <div>     Our leaf "does not wither", though, as we abide where we were planted.  Even in pruning times and winters, in preparation for fruit-bearing, we still manage to angle our 'solar panels' (leaves) to the sun.  Even the sun itself may be scarcer in winter, but we still get enough to live, while many other plants are dying.</div> <div>     Notice that God sees the <I>overall  </I>life of such a tree as prosperous:</div> <bR> <div> Psalm 1:3  ... <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >and all which he does shall prosper. </FONT></div> <bR> <div>     Even our pruned times, then, are apparently part of our <I>overall prosperity</I>.  That's why James can tell us:</div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Georgia" > </FONT><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Georgia" >James 1:2</FONT><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >  My brothers, count </FONT><I>it</I> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >all joy when you fall into different kinds of temptations</FONT></div> <bR> <div>     It's all part of our cycle of spiritual prosperity.  Remember, a tree's stability is defined by its <B>stillness</B>.  It is when we become impatient and uproot ourselves for supposed greener pastures that we deprive ourselves of life and its necessary, though painful, preparations.</div> <div>     It is helpful to picture ourselves, in all our coming and going, as basically <B>still </B>in a most important respect.  In that case, life is more or less 'coming to <I>me</I>'.  I'm waiting for <I>it</I>.  Of course I'm also going out to it; but in my spirit, I am dead still (actually, 'live' still).  The only movement I experience is that of God's healing stream of words flowing nearby, washing over my eager and waiting roots.</div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> ssvwv]vwv]vtv]vwv]vwvss</div> <bR> <div>  <A NAME="feb_18"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="346" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFFBF0 HEIGHT= 105 ><NOBR><div> Psalm 1:4<FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >  </FONT></div> <div> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >The wicked </FONT><I>are</I> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >not so, </FONT></div> <div> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >but </FONT><I>are</I> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >like chaff </FONT></div> <div> which the wind drives away. </div> <bR> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div>     In Psalm One, the <I>Christian </I>is a tree.  He is firm and fixed.  His blessedness is in being still and soaking in the benefits God is continuously providing via the Christian's meditation on Scriptures (Ps. <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Calisto MT" >1:2</FONT>).</div> <div>     Now we learn that the <I>non-Christian</I> is like chaff.  Chaff is the outer hull of wheat or other grain.  The chaff must be broken to get to the wheat, but then the chaff is quite useless.</div> <div>     Chaff is the direct opposite of a tree in two ways:</div> <div>  <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Calisto MT" >1</FONT>)  It is lifeless; and</div> <div>  <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Calisto MT" >2</FONT>)  It moves.</div> <bR> <div>     The chaff moves wherever the wind blows it.  It cannot be assured of finding good ground.  If it does, it cannot stay there.  Water never reaches chaff.  Water is only another agent to carry it away.  If water did soak the chaff, the chaff would still not be benefited, being lifeless.  The soaking would only hasten its decay.</div> <div>     The 'chaff road' is cursed from the outset:</div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Georgia" > </FONT><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Georgia" >Psalm 1:5, 6</FONT>  Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.  For Jehovah knows the path of the righteous; but the <U>path of the ungodly</U> shall <U>perish</U>. </div> <bR> <div>     Everything to do with the ungodly's path is cursed.  That's why it is laid out at the very beginning of the Psalm- to warn us against it:</div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Georgia" > </FONT><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Georgia" >Psalm 1:1</FONT>  Blessed <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#444444" FACE="Georgia" ><I>is</I> </FONT>the man who has not walked in the counsel of the <U>ungodly</U>, and has not stood in the way of <U>sinners</U>, and has not sat in the seat of the <U>scornful</U>. </div> <bR> <div>     The path of the just, however, is only blessed; that is, as long as we keep to that path.  Any straying onto the ungodly's path is a request for its cursings- a request which will be obliged.</div> <bR> <div>     It seems exciting to the ungodly to be blown from one adventure to the next in life.  The path of the stable and staid Christian looks boring by comparison.  That is why the Christian must look to his <I>inner  </I>life, to the rivers that are entering the interiors of his soul.  There is where his movement and excitement are taking place- the influx of the healing streams of Scriptures.  </div> <div>     There is a fundamental difference between the rambling and the stability which, if we fail to appreciate it, will leave us discontent, yearning.  The unbeliever seems happy to fit the description of chaff.  It is imperative that we see him for what he is.  This is both the only way to keep us from desiring his path and the only way to cultivate a burden for him which will lead to persuasive warnings.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> vzv]vzv]vzv]vzv]vzv]vzv</div> <bR> <div>  <A NAME="feb_19"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="434" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFFBF0 HEIGHT= 105 ><NOBR><div> Galatians 6:4<FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >  </FONT></div> <div> But let each one prove his own work, </div> <div> and then he alone will have a boast in himself, </div> <div> and not in another. </div> <bR> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <U>The Individualist in Concensus</U></div> <bR> <div>     OTHERS help to shape <I>me</I>.</div> <div>     I live as a man among other men.  What they do influences me.  Many of <I>my </I>actions are produced by replication of <I>other  </I>men's actions.</div> <div>     We know that it is not mere copy-catting to do as the 'crowd' does.  We follow the crowd because we fear its disapproval.  We also lack the wisdom or confidence to figure things out for ourselves, so we just do as we see, or as we sense will be accepted.</div> <div>     'Other-pleasing' is not necessarily wrong.  A child <I>should  </I>want to please his parents.  We <I>should </I>want to emulate those who are following God.  But if I am following out of insecurity- the fear of man- then I will follow ungodly acts as easily as I will follow godly ones.</div> <div>     Most people never develop a very strong sense of <B>individuality</B>.  Once they are laughed at for straying outside the expected, they give up on exploring uncharted behaviors.</div> <div>     Interestingly, almost anyone will argue for the correctness of his practice, even if he is only following it rather mindlessly.  We assume that if we fail to affirm the norm, we are <I>denying </I>it- a path most will not consider.  Therefore we <I>affirm </I>the norm.  Some people who are very strong-minded are nevertheless only vigorously defending some norm, not asserting their individuality.  </div> <div>     The nations of the earth proceed to Hell in packs (Ps. <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Calisto MT" >9:17</FONT>).  God calls us to be individualists <I>outside </I>those packs.</div> <div>     We must learn to deny the norm <I>without  </I>thinking we are denying/negating those who follow the norm.  The fear of negating others- others as a group or just one particular 'other'-  is a very potent inhibitor which we must learn to overcome.</div> <div>     I must be able to perceive <I>others  </I>in their realm, and <I>me  </I>in mine.  As I interact with them, influence will be mutual.  I will influence them, and they will influence me.  </div> <div>     But I have a responsibility to God for the standards that are from His Word.  <B>Those are the standards I must affirm</B>.  They are what make me an individual <U>outside</U> the worldly norm.  I must not be distracted by a fear of denying other peoples' standards, even if they also claim the standard of the Word of God.  </div> <div>     From the standpoint of 'bearing my own burden' (verse in the box), I will soon learn where I have consensus with others.  Where I do not, I must nevertheless affirm them as creatures of God worthy of my love as my neighbor.</div> <div>     I will not always perceive whether another's consensus with me is due to fear of denying their crowd (of which I am a part socially) rather than fear of denying God.  Any true individualist, though, should be able to come to full concurrence with everyone else who truly holds to God as the standard.  His <I>individuality </I>is really an invitation for <I>joining</I> all other individualists.</div> <div>     Lastly, there does seem to be room in Scriptures for those who merely follow a Biblical consensus.  They honestly do not have the capacity for fully figuring things out on their own.  They are the 'Simple'.  Proverbs encourages the simple to follow the wise.  If they do so unflinchingly, they earn the reward of the wise.  Their recognition of wisdom (which can be largely intuitive) is indeed a real sort of wisdom and a real sort of individuality.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> ssvwv]vwv]vtv]vwv]vwvss</div> <bR> <div>  <A NAME="feb_20"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="434" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFFBF0 HEIGHT= 109 ><NOBR><div> Psalm 119:73<FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >  </FONT></div> <div> Your hands have made me and formed me; </div> <div> give me understanding</div> <div> so that I may learn Your Commandments. </div> <bR> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div>     The psalmist acknowledges that the God who made all the complex workings of his mind is the only one who can make that mind comprehend God's teachings.</div> <div>    Here we may consider:</div> <div>    All the mechanisms of the human soul, which work just as <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="CAMPBELL" >surely</FONT> as a Swiss watch (or whatever the new standard of mechanical precision is), though more complexly.</div> <div>     The Bible is our Operations Manual.  God, as manufacturer, gives diagnosis and prognosis for His product, man.  Laws are laws because they work, because they are predictable.  Thus we should understand and approach everything in Scriptures.  We simply must take care not to assume prematurely that we understand.</div> <div>     A good test for understanding is obedience.  Obedience to one principle understood is a good gateway to understanding another, perhaps more complex, principle.</div> <div>     Let us press on with confidence, seeking wisdom for our souls from God through His Word.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> vzv]vzv]vzv]vzv]vzv]vzv</div> <bR> <div>  <A NAME="feb_21"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="434" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFFBF0 HEIGHT= 127 ><NOBR><div> Matthew 7:6<FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >  </FONT></div> <div> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >Do not give that which </FONT><I>is</I> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >holy to the dogs; </FONT></div> <div> nor cast your pearls before swine, </div> <div> lest they trample them under their feet </div> <div> and turn again and tear you. </div> <bR> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div>     The "dogs" and "swine" spoken of are the implacably unclean spiritually.  It is obvious that to obey Christ's command in the verse, we must determine who <I>are  </I>the spiritually unclean.</div> <div>     Because some find it virtually impossible to keep their own attitudes from conceit when evaluating the spiritual condition of others, they infer a rule that it is wrong to make such evaluations.  Interestingly, they usually point to a portion of Christ's statement five verses before the one quoted above.  There Christ said, "Do not judge" (the only part quoted) "that you may not be judged."  Christ's meaning?  His next words make it clear:  </div> <bR> <div>  <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Georgia" >Matthew 7:2</FONT><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >  for with whatever judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with whatever measure you measure, it will be measured again to you. </FONT></div> <bR> <div>     We are to take care that we have already judged <I>ourselves </I>by the standard with which we would judge <I>another</I>.</div> <div>     Are we allowed to simply forego judging altogether?  By no means!  Jesus continues:</div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Georgia" > </FONT><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Georgia" >Matthew 7:5</FONT>  Hypocrite, first cast the log out of your eye, and <U>then you will see</U> clearly <U>to cast the twig out</U> of the eye of your brother. </div> <bR> <div>     How can we cast out an imperfection from our brother without acknowledging that he has it?  The only prerequisite is that we deal with the same type of sin in our own lives first.</div> <div>     Whereas, it may be exceedingly difficult to keep pride at bay when evaluating the spiritual condition of another, this only underscores the need to:</div> <div>  <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Calisto MT" >1</FONT>)  Confess our own sin;</div> <div>  <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Calisto MT" >2</FONT>)  See our <I>need </I>for God's forgiveness; and</div> <div>  <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Calisto MT" >3</FONT>)  See our need to render forgiveness to others.</div> <bR> <div>     Unfortunately, many who are seemingly pure of character in staying miles away from judging <I>anyone </I>about <I>anything </I>are in actuality only cowards who refuse to take responsibility for their brothers as Christ tells them to.  They fail to <I>minister </I>to the twig in their brother's eye because of the unpleasant preliminaries (that log jam at their own tear duct which needs sending to the saw mill).</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> ssvwv]vwv]vtv]vwv]vwvss</div> <bR> <div>  <A NAME="feb_22"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="434" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFFBF0 HEIGHT= 105 ><NOBR><div> Romans 1:31<FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" > </FONT></div> <div> without discernment, covenant breakers, </div> <div> without natural affection, </div> <div> unforgiving, unmerciful</div> <bR> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div>     This is part of Paul's description of the <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Castellar" >unrighteousness </FONT>that is native to mankind.</div> <div>     Notice that man is naturally unforgiving and unmerciful.</div> <div>     One form that man's unforgiveness takes is a <B>superior attitude</B>.</div> <div>     A superior attitude says, in effect, "I do not allow you to be who you are.  You are unacceptable as you are."  This is, when you think of it, a very serious kind of unforgiveness, for it allows for no remedy.  The offensive person <I>himself  </I>is judged to be the problem, not just what he said or did.  Yet this is a very common form of unforgiveness.  As Paul listed us in the previous verse:</div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Georgia" > </FONT><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Georgia" >Rom 1:30</FONT>  slanderers, God-haters, <U>insolent</U>, <U>proud</U>, <U>braggarts</U>, devisers of evil things, disobedient to parents</div> <bR> <div>     We are incurable JUDGES (at least, none of us will be cured until glorification).  Christians, though, usually don't recognize when they treat other people with contempt.  It is <I>all too easy</I> to minimize others <I>in many ways</I>.  </div> <div>     Really, the only way to overcome our contemptuous attitude is to be constantly aware of how other people perceive us as we have dealings with them.  </div> <div>    Can they tell that we take them seriously and regard their God-given personhood?  Are we seeking to make it <I>plain </I>that we do not consider ourselves better than they?  Are there avenues of service we may pursue which will demonstrate this, or does our selfishness say all that needs to be said about us?</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> vzv]vzv]vzv]vzv]vzv]vzv</div> <bR> <div>  <A NAME="feb_23"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="434" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFFBF0 HEIGHT= 84 ><NOBR><div> Psalm 58:3<FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >  </FONT></div> <div> The wicked are estranged from the womb; </div> <div> <I>they go</I><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" > astray from the womb, speaking lies. </FONT></div> <bR> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div>     Man is definitely an untrustworthy being.  Even at his best, as redeemed man, he can still slide back into deceitfulness.</div> <div>     Let us consider for a moment how <I>men </I><B>view </B><I>mankind</I>.  There are those who do SEE man's untrustworthiness, and those who DON'T SEE it.</div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="729" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 25 WIDTH="428"><div> <B>SEE</B></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <B>DON'T SEE  (Majority view)</B></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 23 WIDTH="428"><div> Realist</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="282"><div> Naive</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 45 WIDTH="428"><div> follows leaders or the crowd even though it doesn't make sense; OR else becomes a stodgy hermit</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="282"><div> following makes sense</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 24 WIDTH="428"><div> cynic</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="282"><div> 'gullible'</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 24 WIDTH="428"><div> crotchety </div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="282"><div> optimist</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 24 ><NOBR><div> mitigating factor- seeing <I>self </I>as untrustworthy too</div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="282"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="24" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="282" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div>     The problem is that neither view is correct.  Of the two, the Realist is at an advantage, because he is closer to the Biblical view.  However, the Optimist will probably have a better life, even if he is taken in by men's deceits more.</div> <div>     The solution to the problem is to take God into the picture.  </div> <div>     The two views represent certain views of man <I>assuming</I> no controlling view of God.  Once God becomes integral to our view of man, we are not doomed to be cattle who must either give curdled milk knowingly or else contented milk blindly.  We will distrust man, including ourselves, along with the realist, but we will not let that cause us to be cynical and crotchety, because we have seen both the grace of God in men's souls and the kindness of God in His providences.  So we will have an optimism about life in general that does not have to paint a false face on men.  </div> <div>     On the other hand, we will also have learned that our fair dealings with others tend to cause fair dealings to return to us a good portion of the time.  We will not discount the law of returns just because it works on an average rather than absolutely.</div> <div>     So the categories of seeing or not seeing men for who they are must actually be placed as <I>sub-categories</I> under those who SEE or DON'T SEE God.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> ssvwv]vwv]vtv]vwv]vwvss</div> <bR> <div>  <A NAME="feb_24"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="321" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFFBF0 HEIGHT= 84 WIDTH="309"><div> James 5:17<FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >  </FONT></div> <div> Elijah was a man </div> <div> of like feeling to us</div> <bR> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div>     Most of us, in picturing the duties and standards to be upheld by a mature Christian, conclude that we are not made of the stuff that can attain that goal.</div> <div>     We must remember that God does not expect us to be something we cannot be.  In large measure, He doesn't expect us to be something we <I>are </I>not.</div> <div>     Consider:</div> <div>  <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Calisto MT" >1</FONT>)  We are human;</div> <div>  <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Calisto MT" >2</FONT>)  We are His creature.</div> <div>     It is therefore in His power to make of us what He has made of mature saints in the past.  The real responsibilities we must master to raise our human nature to the expected level are:</div> <div>  <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Calisto MT" >1</FONT>)  To hear from God, and</div> <div>  <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Calisto MT" >2</FONT>)  To speak to Him.</div> <div>     When we are husbands and/or fathers, we must also disciple our families in these arts.  We will therefore have a good measuring stick as to how well <I>we  </I>have attained them.</div> <div>     <I>Hearing from God</I> involves submissive attention to His Word: when it is preached or privately read and pondered.  <I>Speaking to God </I> is prayer, especially our communications patterned after and responding to what He has said in His Word.</div> <div>     These disciplines raised the men who served God before us.  We are but men; the same disciplines can raise us.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> vzv]vzv]vzv]vzv]vzv]vzv</div> <bR> <div>  <A NAME="feb_25"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="397" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFFBF0 HEIGHT= 84 ><NOBR><div> Hebrews 12:1<FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >  </FONT></div> <div> ... let us lay aside every weight </div> <div> and the sin which so easily entangles <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#444444" FACE="Georgia" ><I>us </I></FONT><I>...</I><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#333333" FACE="Georgia" > </FONT></div> <bR> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div>     This is either a word of laziness</div> <div>     OR</div> <div>     a word of vigilance.</div> <div>     It is a word of laziness to one who takes it wrongly.   The lazy man will read the Word in terms of himself.  He will say, "Ah, sin so easily entangles me!  So I cannot be expected to fully free myself of it."  And so his efforts at holiness are half-hearted at best.</div> <div>     It is a word of vigilance to the one who takes it rightly.  The vigilant man will take the Word as a corrective.  He will say, "Ah, sin begins as a mere weight, and I am so easily slowed and stumbled by it!  I must give greater diligence to recognize sin's burdens so I can cast them upon the Lord!  I must give my full effort to stay clear of sin's entanglements.  I must cry to the Lord and struggle to be free whenever sin does dupe me."</div> <div>     The whole spirit of the Church in our day, with an inbuilt supporting theology, follows the first example, that of laziness and excuse-making.</div> <bR> <div>     Have you gotten clear of the lazy approach to Scripture?  </div> <div>     Can you even tell that you have one?</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> ssvwv]vwv]vtv]vwv]vwvss</div> <bR> <div>  <A NAME="feb_26"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="397" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFFBF0 HEIGHT= 130 ><NOBR><div> 1 Peter 3:7<FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >  </FONT></div> <div> You husbands, in like manner, </div> <div> live with your wives according to knowledge, </div> <div> giving honor to the woman, </div> <div> as to the weaker vessel ... <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#333333" FACE="Georgia" > </FONT></div> <bR> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div>     How is the woman a "weaker" vessel than man?</div> <div>     First of all, note that we are not being told that man is a <I>strong </I>vessel.  We already know that he is not:</div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Georgia" > </FONT><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Georgia" >Psalm 103:14</FONT>  For He knows how we are made. He remembers that <U>we are dust</U>. </div> <bR> <div>     Man, woman- it doesn't matter:  we are both just creatures of dust; very fragile, actually.</div> <div>     On the other hand, in saying that the women is the weaker of the two vessels, neither is it saying that all she is <I>weak</I>:</div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Georgia" > </FONT><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Georgia" >Prov 31:17</FONT>  She has girded her loins with <U>strength</U>, and has made her arms <U>strong</U>. </div> <bR> <div>     We tend to read our 'battle-of-the-genders' mentality into any comparative male-female statements, so we must first seek to erase any overstatements or understatements we might read into this verse.  </div> <div>     Now what is a vessel?</div> <div>     A vessel is an <I>outer </I>holder, implying there is something <I>inner</I>.</div> <div>     The inner substance of the woman is <I>not </I>weaker than the inner substance of man.  BOTH are equally weakened- actually incapacitated- by sin.  Both can be renewed and strengthened by the Lord.</div> <div>     Some take one of Paul's statements as a measure of woman's comparative inner weakness:</div> <bR> <div>  <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Georgia" >1 Tim 2:14</FONT><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >  Adam wasn't deceived, but the woman, being deceived, has fallen into disobedience </FONT></div> <bR> <div>     But this is not to be taken of man generally and woman generally.  Men <I>can </I>be deceived;  women <I>can </I>be savvy to the nature of their decisions, as Adam was in the Garden.  That is Paul's point:  Adam was aware of the choice he was making in eating the fruit.  Eve was actually taken in by the serpent's deception.  </div> <div>     We can say this:  Whenever a woman steps out from under man, her designated authority, she <I>does </I>become weaker than him inwardly, and more greatly subject to temptations.  But woman is not more gullible than man <I>generally</I>, nor is she gullible <I>altogether</I>.  </div> <div>     Paul's point is that she was not meant to LEAD in the relationship, but rather to SUBMIT.  Therefore, when she leads/doesn't submit, she sets herself up as easy bait for Satan's deceptions.  That is why she may not lead in church (the point being reinforced in the verse from <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Calisto MT" >1 </FONT>Timothy at the top).</div> <bR> <div>     There is a sense in which a weaker 'outer holder' is an <B>advantage </B>(to women in general, or, say, to infirmed men).  When we have an obvious disadvantage, we are much less likely to trust in our own strength.  Paul found it an advantage when his bodily armor was pierced:</div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Georgia" > </FONT><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Georgia" >2 Cor 12:7 - 9</FONT>  and by the surpassing revelations, lest I be made haughty, a <U>thorn in the flesh</U> was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be made haughty.  For this thing I besought the Lord three times, that it might depart from me.  And He said to me, My <U>grace is sufficient</U> for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly <U>therefore</U> I will rather <U>glory in my weaknesses</U>, that the power of Christ may overshadow me. </div> <bR> <div>     If you are a woman, do you enjoy the advantage of your relative weakness (bodily) and your limitation (submission to man)?</div> <div>     Our age of independent spirits has robbed women of the glory they should express in an earthly disadvantage.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> vzv]vzv]vzv]vzv]vzv]vzv</div> <bR> <div>  <A NAME="feb_27"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="397" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFFBF0 HEIGHT= 84 ><NOBR><div> Psalm 70:2<FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >  </FONT></div> <div> Let them be ashamed and turned pale, </div> <div> those who seek after my soul ...</div> <bR> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div>     Those who "seek after my soul" are to be prayed against.</div> <div>     But most of us don't know who is seeking after our souls.</div> <bR> <div>  <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Georgia" >Ezek 13:18</FONT><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >  ... Will you hunt the souls of My people, and will you save alive the souls for yourselves? </FONT></div> <bR> <div>     Those who seek to "save us alive" for themselves are more dangerous than those who simply seek our outright destruction.  Those who would keep us alive in their cages come to us as Christians.</div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Georgia" > </FONT><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Georgia" >Col 2:8</FONT>  Beware lest any man <U>make a prey of you</U> through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. </div> <bR> <div>     Once we have identified someone as a false teacher, we should be on high alert.  It is by their ideas, their notions of truth, that false teachers would take US captive.  They are certainly seeking our souls.  All who <I>follow </I>these teachers validate them and empower them:</div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Georgia" > </FONT><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Georgia" >Gal 2:4</FONT>  But <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#444444" FACE="Georgia" ><I>it was</I></FONT> because of those false brothers stealing in, who stole in to spy on our freedom which we have in Christ Jesus, they <U>desiring to enslave us</U></div> <bR> <div>     If we fail to identify these hunters by their false doctrine, we probably will not identify them at all.  There is nothing in their personal demeanor to give them away.  They are confident of their quest because they have a mastery of interpersonal relations.  They capture by sweetness and persuasion.</div> <bR> <div>     We live in a day wholly taken in by various false doctrines.  </div> <div>     A day of liberation must be coming.  Those who are saddened by the falsehoods will cry to the Lord, and He will hear and deliver:</div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Georgia" > </FONT><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Georgia" >Ezek 13:20</FONT><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >  ... And I will tear them from your arms, and will send out the souls, souls which you are hunting, to make </FONT><I>them</I> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >fly. </FONT></div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> ssvwv]vwv]vtv]vwv]vwvss</div> <bR> <div>  <A NAME="feb_28"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="397" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFFBF0 HEIGHT= 105 ><NOBR><div> Genesis 3:12<FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >  </FONT></div> <div> And the man said, </div> <div> The woman whom You gave <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#444444" FACE="Georgia" ><I>to be</I></FONT> with me, </div> <div> she has given to me of the tree, and I ate. </div> <bR> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div>     How far would we have to go <I><B>back </B></I>to attain the righteous spirit man had in Eden?</div> <div>     To answer that question, we must ask how far <I><B>away </B></I><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="BwSymbol" ><I><B> </B></I></FONT>we have come <I>from </I>that Edenic spirit.</div> <div>     We can answer this partially by determining how much Adam himself changed.  Look at his 'before and after photo'.</div> <div>     Afterwards, it came perfectly naturally for him to reason from a position of <B>blame</B>- blame of both God and Eve ("the <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Baskerville Old Face" ><B>woman </B></FONT>whom <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Baskerville Old Face" ><B>You </B></FONT>gave").*  </div> <div>     Psychologically, this inner spirit shift still works through my familiar soulical operations.  It has become part of us, part of me.  When I <I>lose </I>this blaming predisposition, I will have arrived, in that area, back at an Edenic spirit.</div> <div>     Part of our Christian hope is the complete riddance of our censuring spirit.  </div> <div>     The question we'd like to ask today, though, is how much of this unblaming spirit is available to me <I>now?  </I>  </div> <div>     In answer, we can say: Enough that I may be called "blameless" (not a pun contrasted specifically to 'blameful').  </div> <div>     On the other hand, we must also answer: <I>Little </I>enough, for I will still be seeking full deliverance from my accusing spirit through the healing Tree of Life when I reach the new 'Eden' (Revelation <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Calisto MT" >22</FONT>).</div> <bR> <div>  * <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >Notice how similar a sin nature and a righteous nature seem.  Adam had no awareness of having become a completely different person.  His outlook had rather subtly shifted its focal point</FONT>.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> vzv]vzv]vzv]vzv]vzv]vzv</div> <bR> <div>  <A NAME="feb_29"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="397" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFFBF0 HEIGHT= 194 ><NOBR><div> <B>Ezra 1:3</B><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >  </FONT></div> <div> Who <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#444444" FACE="Georgia" ><I>is there</I></FONT> among you of all His people? </div> <div> Let his God be with him, </div> <div> and let him go up to Jerusalem, </div> <div> which <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#808080" FACE="Georgia" ><I>is</I></FONT> in Judah, </div> <div> and build the house of Jehovah, </div> <div> the God of Israel (He is God) </div> <div> which is in Jerusalem. </div> <bR> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div>     Here is a question in reference to God.  Who is there among His people who will answer His call?</div> <div>     The question implies that some will not answer the calling.</div> <div>     The question was prompted by the <B>activity of God</B>:</div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#800000" FACE="Georgia" ><B> </B></FONT><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#800000" FACE="Georgia" ><B>Ezra 1:1, 2</B></FONT>  And in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, so that the Word of Jehovah by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, <U>Jehovah</U> <U>stirred</U> up the spirit of <U>Cyrus</U> king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also in writing, saying,  So says Cyrus king of Persia, Jehovah, the <U>God</U> of Heaven has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. And He has <U>commanded me</U> to build Him a house at Jerusalem, which <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#444444" FACE="Georgia" ><I>is</I> </FONT>in Judah.</div> <bR> <div>     Cyrus was the one God had wakened, and he was the one asking the question.  God had begun to move, but Cyrus did not assume that everyone else was therefore ready for God's venture.  Cyrus determined the further working of the Lord by asking a probing question.  Who will join this work?</div> <div>     The challenge was immediately supplied with an encouragement.  Those who answered would be blessed.  But the Jews knew the difficulty.  They knew what shape Jerusalem was in.</div> <div>     The <B>activity of God</B> always prompts  a <B>challenge from God</B>:  Who is ready?  Who is ready to accompany God's working in whatever undertaking it is?</div> <bR> <div>     Who is ready today if God would again begin to return to us what He had given and we had lost (rather, what we had despised and been expelled from:  our inheritance)?</div> <bR> <div>     And where would we be returning to?  What is our inheritance?</div> <div>     There is a pasture land we abandoned.  Christ told Peter, and through him all leaders of His flock:</div> <bR> <div> <B> </B><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#800000" FACE="Georgia" ><B>John 21:17</B></FONT><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Georgia" >  "Feed My sheep." </FONT></div> <div>  </div> <div>     What are pastors supposed to feed Christ's flocks?</div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#800000" FACE="Georgia" ><B> 2 Timothy 4:2</B></FONT>  Preach <U>the Word</U> ...</div> <bR> <div>     Pastors are supposed to feed believers the Scriptures.  This is where we have deviated.  Preacher and congregation have conspired together to give and receive an edited version of God's book.  There is no more interest strictly in what the Book says.  The new passion is for the essence of the Book.  Boil it down for us.  Just tell us what it really means.  Of course, everyone already assumes they know what is really means.  They just want to make sure preachers stick to that version.</div> <div>     God is saying, "Return them to the place where My Word is."</div> <div>     The discerning pastor will prudently ask the question God asks:</div> <div>     "Who is there among all God's people who will return to the place we've abandoned?"</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> ssvwv]vwv]vtv]vwv]vwvss</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>