Reconcile!

The Word of God is inerrant and infallible if it's taken literally, contextually, and historically. If you don't study the word with these three guidelines it can become muddy very quickly. So, with that in mind, I would love to hear thoughts on these two scriptures. How can we strive to fulfill the directives of both of these? Both of these scriptures are to be taken literally. They are not allegories for some other message. Historically they are very similar, so that leaves contextually. How does the context play into these two verses to alter their intent for the hearer?


Matthew 5:13-16
13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. 14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Matthew 6:1-4
1 Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. 2 Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: 4 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.So what's the difference in the context? What's the underlying theme here? Isn't it ultimately about motives? If you're living your Christian life in the open for the sole purpose of bringing glory to God, then you are being the Christian light and example that Matthew 5 is calling you to be. However, if you're living your Christian life out in the open for the purpose of having glory of men, then you have your reward. It's not the physical aspect of someone seeing you do the good deed. If you drop a check in the donation box at church and someone see's you from across the room, it's not going to negate the blessing of the donation if your heart is pure in it's charity. However, if you put the donation in and hope someone does see you then missed it regardless of whether you we're physically seen or not. Christ knows your heart! He knows your motives and your desires. He was not necessarily condemning the pharisee's for the act of trumpet blowing he was condemning them because they did it "that they may have glory of men." Their motives were not Godly. When Jesus says "let not thy left hand know what thy right doeth". It's not a mandate to be as secretive as possible about your good deeds. It's a call to not seek out mans praise but rather to seek out God's praise!

These passages are not about the physical act of being seen, they are about your motives in doing the good works. Where are you laying up treasure? For that is where your heart will be.

A Biblical Examination of Individualized Guidance (among other things)

This is a long one folks. I had a comment left on my last post that I decided to make into another post because I would love everyone’s thoughts on the issues he's brought up.
Here’s the comment:

“When in the bible does it say we are to only have one wife? When did the practice of poligamy go from being ok to sin?IF it was (old testament) ok to have multiple wives (as many of the patriarchs did), how can there be just one "the one"? Or did that change too? And Luke, I think God can issue a blanket rule (thou shalt not kill) and then order one specific servant (or group of servants) to act contrary to that blanket rule. After all, did not God order the Israeli army to kill ALL of their enemies multiple times?Ok, having said that, and if the above is correct, and it may very well not be, then I think one has to admit that there may be circumstances where God wants (tells) me to do something he specifically told you not to do. So, its not just interpreting the scripture correctly, but also what God tells us as individuals. Or am I wrong and it is only Genesis to the Book of Revelations?Oh, one more thing. “For whatsoever is not of Faith is sin. If you don't know if it's right or wrong...and you do it anyway...it's wrong.”Can you sin from a lack of action? If so, then if you are uncertain as to what you should do, maybe by not doing it your committing a sin? Or not? And I am sure that you’re about ready to ban me, but I do like to challenge a line a thought. The responses are helpful for me to attain a deeper understanding of God’s will. Luke, I admit you’re more knowledgeable (and wise) then I am, and I am very interested to read your reactions to the above. I am enjoying this conversation immensely.”

The only reason I'm going to ban you is if you keep saying I'm wiser than you. :) When you feel like praising, praise God, not me. I don't share your sentiment about me being wiser than anyone.

Polygamy:
God has never been please with polygamy as far as I can tell. The Bible says that God’s original intention was for one man to be married to only one woman, “For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh” (Gen 2:24). Mankind quickly perverted the concept of marriage to allow for multiple wives (Gen 4:19). The Bible does not specifically condemn the practice of polygamy until the New Testament (1Tim 3:2), but that does not mean God approved of polygamy before.

We see in Deuteronomy 17:14-20, that the kings were not supposed to have multiple wives. Ultimately the case can be made from Genesis 2:23-24, I Timothy 3:2 & 12 and Titus 3:12 that nobody should have multiple wives. Although the New Testament passages relate to elders and deacons we can apply it to all Christians men because these are worthy standards for all men and we should all seek to be Holy as God is Holy (I Peter 1:16), and if these standards are holy for elders and deacons then they are holy for all. Is that a fair conclusion to draw? We should strive to live just as holy of lives as our leaders right? God doesn't have different standards for some than others. We are all called to be holy.

Extra-Biblical Guidance:
As far as God issuing a blanket rule (anything in His Word) and then telling some of us to act contrary to it...I don't agree with that at all. God will NEVER ask us to act in a manner contrary to His written word...EVER. Your example of God saying "Thou shalt not kill" and then ordering the Israelites to war, I'll agree is a tough issue, and I don't have a great answer as to why God would order people killed. One difference that comes to mind is that in the Old Testament the Israelites were God's chosen people. God never commanded one Israelite to kill another. The law was written for the Israelites. When Christ died on the cross and the Jews were not accepting, God opened the door for all men. We all became grafted into the children of Israel.

Another thought on God revealing things that are outside of the Word. I do believe God can reveal things to people. If God could specifically talk to people in the Bible He still can today. However, I feel that the concept of individual guidance and revelation is grossly overused in the Christian church today. I think we can learn some things about personal individual guidance or revelation that’s extra-Biblical. The Bible has many examples of this, but even in the context of the Bible this instances were rare considering the Bible covers a history of about 4,000 years. The cases are exceptional. There is no hint that day-to-day decisions—big or small—were made by getting special directions from God. God’s specialized directives in Acts, for example, are limited to only 14 from
the time of Pentecost. Remember: A handful of incidents do not constitute a model. You can’t build a biblical model of anything by citing irregular and exceptional events as support. It’s a mistake to take the exception and make a rule out of it.

Secondly, personalized guidance in the Bible is an intrusion. It is not being sought after. There is no evidence the Apostles were “waiting on the Lord” seeking special guidance. Instead, God surprised them with it. We’re not told to seek specialized, supernatural guidance from God. If this is the way we’re supposed to make decisions, then why doesn’t the Bible explicitly teach us this important skill?

Thirdly, personalized guidance in the Bible is supernatural and, therefore, clear. In Acts, the majority (five) were visions, three were from an angel, four times the Spirit spoke, one seems to have been a prophecy, one was the voice of Jesus. Why is it clear? God expects it to be obeyed, and you can’t obey a command that’s not clear.

• 1 Corinthians 14:8: “If the bugle produces an indistinct sound, who will prepare himself for battle?”


• Paul blinded on Damascus road: “Rueben, I’m not sure, but I think God may be trying to tell me something.”

There is no evidence that these were inner urges and intuitions. Personalized guidance generally goes against wisdom (not against the Word), that’s why there needs to be a special intrusion. Personalized guidance becomes God’s moral will, a command that must be obeyed by the person to whom it was revealed. What about Acts 6:6-7? “And they passed through the Phrygian and Galatian region, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. And when they had come to Mysia, they were trying to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them.” There’s no doubt that God gave special direction in this case, as He occasionally did. However, there’s nothing about this passage that implies it’s an exception to the pattern I’ve described. We simply don’t know the manner God communicated this prohibition, but it must have been clear (see above) and therefore probably verbal “having been forbidden.”

In sum, the biblical characteristics of special guidance are that they are rare, intrusive
(unsought), supernatural in character, and clear.

A lot of this is from
“Decision Making and the Will of God” ©2000 Gregory Koukl

And Finally!! (told you this was long didn’t I?)

The Sin of Inaction:
I think Sarah hit the nail on the head on this one in the following comment. She said, “One more thought “can you sin from lack of action?” Yes. “To him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.” James 4:17”
I also think of Ephesians 5:15-16 15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, 16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

Let’s not be lethargic in our Christian walk! Let walk circumspectly (diligently), while we strive for the mark!

Moral and Wise Principles for Choosing a Wife

I found this handout to be very interesting. When I go to make a decision, I know I always find it helpful if I have an outline of the scriptures that pertain to a certain topic. I always want God’s heart in my decision. I want to let Godly principles and Godly obedience dictate my decisions.

Let me know your thoughts on this one. Do you agree with all the points? What’s your reaction to stuff like this?

This was an appendix at the end of the notes for the talk “Decision Making and the Will of God”. I actually hesitated publishing this, but I really would like your feedback. Let me know what you think.

Moral and Wisdom Principles for Choosing a Wife
“Decision Making and the Will of God” ©2000 Gregory Koukl
Stand to Reason, 1-800-2-REASON or www.str.org

Here is an example of how I applied the wisdom model to the issue of choosing a
wife. It’s a list of guidelines from Scripture one needs to consider when choosing a bride (women will need to make a few adjustment concerning husbands, but you get the idea). In addition to the moral consideration of choosing someone who is a committed Christian (2 Corinthians 6:14-18), men should also ask the following questions. Is she:

• Someone you can endeavor to love as Christ loves the church (Ephesians 5:25)?


• Already beginning to show respect for you as the head of your relationship (Ephesians 5:33)?


• Showing a willingness to be subject to your leadership (Ephesians 5:24)?


• Someone you, as a husband, can be subject to in the fear of the Lord (there is a type of submission that works both ways: Ephesians 5:21)?


• Someone you can joyfully fulfill your sexual responsibilities to (1 Corinthians 7:3-5, Proverbs 5:15-20)?


• Someone you can live in peace with (1 Corinthians 7:15)?


• Someone you can provide for adequately (1 Timothy 5:8)?


• Someone who allows you to exercise your spiritual gifts (1 Peter 4:10)?


• Prudent (Proverbs 19:14)?


• Not contentious or vexing (Proverbs 21:9, 25:24, 27:15, 21:19)?


• Someone who will be an industrious, contributing member of the household, fulfilling domestic duties, hospitable and kind, with a positive outlook on life, and possesses strength and dignity (Proverbs 31:13-27)?


• Someone who fears the Lord (Proverbs 31:30)?


• Chaste and respectful (1 Peter 3:2)?


• Kindhearted, not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead (1 Peter 3:8-9)?


• Someone you are happy to be with (1 Corinthians 7:40)?


• Committed to the priority of fulfilling her God-given role and responsibilities as a wife?


• An excellent woman (Proverbs 30:10)?

A New Spiritual Morning

Every morning is a new spiritual morning. Every morning we have the opportunity to live this day for Christ. Every morning we have the opportunity to renew our dedication to our Savior. Every morning is full of new opportunities in Christ!

So, how did you look at this morning?




Psalm 118:24
This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

Notice David doesn't pose it as a question. It's not "will we rejoice...?" It's a statement of "we will rejoice and be glad in it." He assumes that, if you're on the same side as the Creator of the universe, you wouldn't want to do anything but be rejoice and be glad!

When I started writing this post this morning I didn't know what I was going to write. I needed this message myself. I'm thankful that the Word of God has the power and authority to change my attitude. If you're struggling with an attitude or a motive you'd like to change, bring the Word of God to bear upon it. Do you believe it has the authority to change your behavior?

The sun has risen on a new day in your life. Are you going to spend today focused on "you" or focused on The Creator? Don't get me wrong. I know sometimes circumstances in our lives seem weighty, but the Lords been teaching me a lot about perspective lately. Let us remember that, if we know Jesus personally, we are children of the KING!! We serve a God that is omniscient! Let us trust Him implicitly with the outcomes of our decisions.

Nano Car?

First off: If you're interested in the discussion we had on Relationships a few days ago, there are still a few comments being added that are interesting.











I find this stuff amazing and interesting, but then again...I'm an engineer...and a nerd...so there's a good chance you won't find it amazing at all.

A car that's 3-4 nanometers across. That's .000000003 meters, or .000003 millimeters. A human hair is about 80,000 nanometers wide.
The nanocar consists of a chassis and axles made of well-defined organic groups with pivoting suspension and freely rotating axles. The wheels are buckyballs, spheres of pure carbon containing 60 atoms apiece.

The article can be found by clicking the title of this post.

Ted

The minister that gave the talk on relationships commented on my post about it. His name's Ted. Check it out.

Here's the website of AC Counseling Services. It's got a lot of good material. It should be worth your time to browse around a little.

Also the College Weekend Audio files are posted on a couple of different web sites. Now you can actually hear the talk that the notes go with. :) Enjoy!1. Scott Wettstein
2. Bluffton Y.G.

BOO!

I'm not sure why I find it so funny when people get scared, but I do. If you want to save the movie to your HD right click here


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Godly Relationships

Here are the notes from Ted Witzig Jr's talk on "How Should I Relate To Members of the Opposite Sex?" If you want them as a .pdf for easier viewing just send me an email. I'll get them to you right away.

One of my favorite quotes of the day was "Scriptural/Spiritual Knowledge is not necessarily spiritual growth." In order to have growth you must have application to your life. We need to APPLY our knowledge!

Update: I posted these notes last night right before I went to bed, so I didn't take the time to comment on them. There are some slides here that he clarified in his talk which helps them make a lot more sense.

On Page 3 on the slide titled "Two Become One:" the first one is one person plus one person equals one new person. The second one is a half a person plus a half a person equals a whole person. The third one is one complete person plus one complete person join to form two complete people within a binding circle of one Godly marriage.

Also on Page 3 on the slide titled "Types of Relationship Patterns" he clarified what the letters 'A', 'H', and 'M' stood for. The 'A' signifies two people propping each other up. If one falls the other falls. They can't help each other through tough times. They don't have a complete identity in Christ. The 'H' signifies two people who stay too distant during their marriage. They can both stand on their own as long as they're on level ground...and nothing pushes them...but they can't really help the other up if they stumble. The 'M' signifies two people who can stand in Christ by themselves, but yet are inseparable at the base. If one half of the 'M' stumbles the other has sure footing to help lift it up.

On the fourth page on the slide titled "Ambiguity Adds Confusion", the last question is "Who is responsible for making sure that a relationship doesn't get overly close? The guy? The girl?". The answer to that question is, "You are." You are both completely and seperately responsible.

If anyone has any other questions about this handout feel free to either leave a comment or write me an email. I'll do my best to expound/clarify it for you, or I'll find someone who can.


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Scans of CW notes
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Monday Business

Ok, first off, the weekend was great. U of I in Champaign hosted College Weekend Fall '05. The topic was "Relationships". Wow. That pretty much sums it up. The topics of the 5 speakers were as follows:Relationship With Christ
Relationships With Your Family
Relationships With Fellow Christians
Relationships With the Opposite Gender
Relationships With the UnsavedI, unfortunately, didn't get to hear the last one, but the rest of them were wonderful, applicable, and Biblical bible studies. The one that hit me the hardest was "Relationships With the Opposite Gender". I'm going to go through our handout on that and make a post in the future...I might just scan in the handout and let you read/study it for yourself. It gave some really applicable guidelines to think about when relating with the other gender.(Stephanie, Katie, Steve: It was right along the lines of our discussion of that a few weeks ago!)

Underlining the whole day, however, was the first topic. If you're not working on that first one yet, the rest of them can not be where they should be.

After we left U of I we went to a cookout at Jeff Weigands and played volleyball and had a singing around a campfire. I kept 5 guys at my place Sat. night. 4 of us stayed up until 4:00 talking about relationships and marriage. Yeah, that's WAY to late. We were dragging the next morning, but it was worth it. Good bonding times for sure.

The lovely couple

Here they are folks. Michelle Bahr from Detroit Michigan is engaged to Aaron Stoller from...Latty?, Ohio.
I love Michelle's grin on this one. :)

Shining

Ashley Drayer's TN Pic
posted by Luke

Ashley Drayer just sent me this picture. She took it when she was in TN awhile ago. When I first opened it, I half expected to see Jesus. It's what I picture as the light that knocked Saul off his horse.

Wow! Limited Edition!

Now Available for Ordering
First Edition PEZ MP3 Player
115 sold so far.
PEZ Pal Boy character.
512 mb (holds around 120 songs)
USB 2.0
Plays MP3, WMA, WMA w/DRM
Compatible with Mac OS X
Compatible with Windows 98, ME, 2000, XP
Compatible with subscription services like Rhapsody To Go
Uses 1 AAA battery
Plug and Play
Drag and Drop
Can be used as a USB drive to store data files
Repeat play or Random Play
Store music in nested directories
Comes pre-loaded with great indie music
Lanyard hook
Comes with earbud headphones and USB cable
Limited run 1st edition
Both the packaging and player marked as 1st Edition.

There ya go Brooke. I know you want it. ;) Click the title of my blog to go check out the webpage. As my grandma says, "What won't they think of next?"

And here's a cool landscape picture just because I like these. :) This is of Mirror Lake in Yosemite according to the website. Beautiful, just beautiful.

Walking With God

"The true test of a person's spiritual life and character is not what he does in the extraordinary moments of life, but what he does during the ordinary times when there is nothing tremendous or exciting happening."

That's a quote from Oswald Chambers' "My Utmost For His Highest". That thought really got me thinking. How easy is it to say spiritual things when we're going through something extraordinary? How hard is it to think on those same spiritual things as we go about our mundane existence? How easy is it to say "I'm praying for you."? How hard is it to actually remember to pray? How easy is it to say "I'm blessed." at church? How hard is it to live a life of gratitude to our Father?

God is not impressed with lip service. He wants our hearts. That doesn't mean we can't say those things, but along with saying them we should live them!

What is our attitude toward the ordinary things of life when we're not under the spotlight?

As James MacDonald says, "Gratitude is the attitude that determines our altitude!"

Charity

1 Corinthians 13:4-7
4.Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; 7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.8 Charity never faileth:...*deep breathe*

Charity...Agape. The Greek word is used 106 times in the new testament. It's translated as love 86 times. The word "love" in our vernacular has been water down. Would you agree?

Out of all the times we hear the word "love" during the day, how many times do you think it's meant like it is in 1 Corinthians 13? How many times do I think of it that way when I say it?

The bible holds some amazingly awesome promises for those who learn to love. In 1 John 4 it says this about perfect love: 16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. 17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.When you read that "herein" word, did you go back and double check to see "where"-in? That "herein" word is refering to dwelling in God through love. And then, what is the promise that is given to us? We will have boldness in the day of judgement!!! Wow! Can you imagine. What a promise!

But the promises don't stop there. They aren't just for the next life. The Word also says that perfect love casteth out fear! We have nothing to fear. If you're going through life fearful, ask yourself why? If you're living with the Spirit in your heart as a converted believer/follower of Christ you have NOTHING to fear...NOTHING!

So when Satan tries to make your life seem dark...when he tries to darken your sky and block your light...remind him that you have NOTHING to fear in this life or the next. We're children of the KING! We are tapped into a power, through Christ's sacrifice, that extends even beyond Satans seemingly long arm.

You could really take the word Charity and replace it with the name of Christ in 1 Corithians 13...it would do a wonderful job describing our savior! Maybe that's why without it your life will profit you nothing. Even if you do a myriad of good deeds.

Obedience vs. Sacrifice

1Sa 15:22
And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.

Why is obedience such a difficult thing for man?

When it comes to obedience to God's word, it seems some things are easier for some people than others. We, as people, tend to focus on the things that come easy for us. We seem to be very lenient on ourselves for the things that come harder for us personally, but we seem to be very critical of others who struggle with the things that come easier for us. Is this true in your life?

2Co 10:12
For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.
Lord,

Today I pray for wisdom; wisdom to be able to look into my heart and see it clearly and then, I pray, give me the desire and the grace to purge the parts that are not in-line with thy word. In and through Jesus Christ I pray,

Amen

Christ is the "better" way!

I know I've used this pic before, but I love it!

Ok, This might be a little scattered since I don't have my thoughts completely pulled together on this.

Last night at Bible Study we talked about the book of Hebrews. It's reoccuring theme is "better". The new dispensation of grace is better than the old law. I think the people who practiced the old mosaic law must have had a really neat perspective on this.

Don't get me wrong. To go from a "to-do list" to a 24/7 lifestyle of worship and relationship couldn't have been easy, and it wasn't easy for them according to Hebrews. At the same time, once they accepted that Christ was a "better" sacrifice than ANY of the sacrifices they could offer, what a freeing truth. No longer do we have to accept the inevitability of sin and just "plan" on sacrificing another lamb or dove or whatever. Now we have the Spirit of God. We have the power of Christ that we're encouraged/commanded to tap into!

The blood of animals could never cover sins. All they could do was remind them of sins. Now there's been a sacrifice that covers and washes away every sin that a believer has ever or will ever commit. (Except the sin of Apostacy: forsaking your belief) What an awesome thought. Christ took care of it. Our part comes in taking advantage of that gift that he's holding out to us.

The old law didn't encourage or require a relationship with God. It required obedience to a set of rules. As long as you followed those rules, things were fine. If you did this sin, you sacrificed this animal, if you did this other sin, you sacrificed this other animal. In this setting the people had no power to overcome. They just trusted in the sacrifice to make up for it. They lost their focus on "DON'T SIN". God is SO much more pleased with obedience than sacrifice after disobedience. (think Saul)

Praise God that we have the ability to tap into the power today! Through Christ Jesus every one of us can stand spotless before the throne!! Not because we're perfect, but because we've had Christ's righteousness imputed upon us!! We've been veiled in His cloak of righteousness!

Thank you Jesus for being willing to stoop infinitely low to come to earth and suffer and die and rise again for me. May I strive to live in constant worship of you by the grace you so freely give!

In Jesus Name,
Amen

I'd love to hear your thoughts on what I wrote here. I definitely don't have it all sorted out in my mind!

Joy of Eternity!

Is this a picture of how you feel when you think about eternity?(minus the golf club) Are you living life as a victor through Christ Jesus? Is there anything that could happen on this earth to make us not feel like this when we think about eternity?

This morning I was listening to a sermon on my way into work, and the statement was made: "Asking a believer how their week is going is kind of a dumb question."

It was a sermon on the promise of salvation to true believers. Saved to forgiveness of sins and to eternal life. Biblically the Christian life is never promised to be an easy one, but that doesn't matter. Our treasure, our hope, and our fulfillment isn't in this life. It's in eternity in heaven.

How's my week going? Well, I'm justified, I'm being sanctified, I'm going to heaven where I've got a mansioned prepared for me, and even if negative things happened during my week, I'm a Christian saved by faith through grace.

So how's my week going?

"It's going great! I'm blessed. A little chip on the grain of sand we call life, on the massive beach of eternity, isn't going to drag me down. But thanks for caring enough to ask."

May God be glorified!

Funny Business
The clear winner for favorite joke goes to #1:
Custom at Duquesne University dictated that if a professor was ten minutes late, class was canceled. One professor arrived early for a 9 a.m. lecture. He placed his hat on his desk, and went to the faculty room. Before he knew it, it was 9:10. By the time he got back to his classroom, it was empty. The next day, he let his students have it. "When my hat is here," he fumed, "I'm here!" The following day, the professor arrived at 9 a.m. He was met by the sight of 28 hats on 28 desks -- and no students.
--Joke Contributed by Albert I. Raizman
Most people thought my favorite would be #4, but it's not. I'm not that different from most of you. :-) My favorite was also number one. I was kinda surprised that no one picked that as my favorite, seeing as how so many picked that as their favorite.

The mental picture of a professor walking into a classroom full of hats and no kids...yeah. It sounds like something we would've done at K-State in one of my smaller upper level classes.

Humor

I needed a little humor this morning. Here's what I found.
1. Custom at Duquesne University dictated that if a professor was ten minutes late, class was canceled. One professor arrived early for a 9 a.m. lecture. He placed his hat on his desk, and went to the faculty room. Before he knew it, it was 9:10. By the time he got back to his classroom, it was empty. The next day, he let his students have it. "When my hat is here," he fumed, "I'm here!" The following day, the professor arrived at 9 a.m. He was met by the sight of 28 hats on 28 desks -- and no students.
--Joke Contributed by Albert I. Raizman


2. Twice a year, we change the clocks for daylight-savings time. And twice a year, my normally punctual assistant arrives late to work the Monday after we do so. I finally had to find out why. "Do you have a problem remembering to spring forward or fall back?" I asked. "Oh, no," she said, pouring herself a cup of coffee. "What gets to me is staying up until 2 a.m. to change my clock."
--Joke Contributed by Nancy M. Payne


3. Our manager at the restaurant where I worked was a much beloved, jovial man. But there was one subject you didn't dare discuss in front of him -- his height. Or, should I say, his lack of it. One day, he stormed through the door and announced angrily, "Someone just picked my pocket!" Most of my fellow waitresses and I were speechless, except for the one who blurted out, "How could anyone stoop so low?"
--Joke Contributed by Bette Moeggenborg


4. When I was a kid, my dad and I had a running joke. If anyone asked what he did for a living, I was to reply, "He's a sports mechanic. He fixes boxing matches and horse races." Once, I answered a teacher this way. She flipped out and summoned my parents. Dad calmed her down by explaining it was a joke. "So what do you do?" she asked. Dad, a sales rep for a pharmaceutical company, said, "I sell drugs."
--Joke Contributed by Gina Bennicasa


5. Traveling salesmen make their living visiting as many customers as possible. So speeding to get from one appointment to the next is not unheard-of. Which is how I got pulled over by a highway patrolman. "Don't you ever look at the speedometer?" the officer scolded. Before I knew it, the truth spilled from my mouth. "As fast as I was going," I admitted, "I was afraid to take my eyes off the road."
--Joke Contributed by Walt Lile
Have you ever thought about our sense of humor? Isn't it a wonderful gift! Yet we all have a little different sense of it. Does your family have any jokes or sayings that they find funny that no one else would find even slightly amusing? Mine definitely does. We have little one-liners that have stemmed from stories we've told. The one-liners tell very little about the actual account, but they remind us of it, and we can share a chuckle. (chuckle's a funny word!)

Let me know your favorite one, and tell me what you think my favorite one would be. We'll see how similar our sense of humors are. :)

Anyway, hope you enjoyed the jokes. They came from Readers Digest

Pressing

Php 3:14
I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

"I": In this case that's Paul, but he's giving us an example of what we should do also.

"Press": to pursue, to seek after eagerly, earnestly endeavour to acquire

"Mark": the distant mark looked at, the goal or end one has in view (heaven)

"Prize": the heavenly reward for Christian character (1 Corinthians 9:24)

"High Calling": the divine invitation to embrace salvation of God
Dear God:
Today I will eagerly seek after, and earnestly endeavor to acquire, my goal of heaven and eternal life through living a life of Christian character, since I have heard my divine invitation from God to embrace salvation in and through Christ.

Amen
Our Christian life should not be a life of apathy or lethargy. Paul, in numerous passages, encourages us with all kinds of action words like press, gird up, run, strive, come out, pray, study, rejoice, weep, love, preach, teach, encourage, admonish, exhort, stand(yes, that's an action too), forgive, put on, etc...

I'm sure everyone could add something to this list. When you read through it did you find yourself thinking of scripture that used those words? That's what it means to "hide the Word in your heart". Hey, "Hide" is another one!

Let's look for action words in the Scriptures and then actively seek to apply them to our lives!

Apple River

So up until Friday night I thought I was either going to go to Bluffton for a wedding or to Gridley for a singing/recording thingy. Turns out I went to Apple River with the Washington Y.G. I'm glad I did. While I would've loved to gone to either one of the other two activities, I'm glad I was able to spend time with my home church's youth group. There's something special about strengthening bonds with the people that go to the church I now call "home". See, I've never really had a "home" young group before. I gave my heart to Christ when I was at Kansas State. I was very blessed to be a part of that Y.G. while I was there, but school was not a "home church".

God truly has given us a blessing in our churches. Our fellowship together is such a wonderful tool against the prince of darkness.

Here are a few pictures of our weekend.
O Lord my God, when I, in awesome wonder, consider all the worlds thy hands have made. I see the stars, and I hear the rolling thunder; Thy power throughout the undiverse displayed. Then sings my soul my saviour God to thee...How Great Thou Art, How Great Thou Art