A Fourth Sign Post

Last night at Connect group we were talking about being/becoming the woman God created us to be and what that women ‘looks’ like as in what characteristics (faith, trust, courage, etc) and what stops us from becoming that women...

I realised that God has created me to be so much more than I allow myself to be...there are three things that stop us from stepping out they are the choices we make, how we see ourselves and the devil...I would also add to these three how we perceive other people see us...often this perception is quite wrong but can be quite crippling.

And so my fourth sign post is to address these things and to actively walk the journey to becoming the women God has for me to be...

Sign Posts

God has been speaking to me this week and its been both confronting and challenging...Our old pastor called these realated msgs sign posts and i am beginning to see why...

what are they about...they are about my trusting God and the choices i make...i think my journey in this area is just begining...and the scariest thing is i cant go to one of my theological texts and read some amazing scholars views...i have to 'feel' this and go through it myself...

The first one was during the sermon on sunday and the speaker asked if we trusted that God is big enough to carry our burdens and do we trust that he is big enough to be God in our lives...i have haad to face the reality that i dont think i do trust God to carry all my hurts and for the most part have taken them all back...

The second was something Pete said to me (i hope its ok to blog this pete?)...without giving the context of it all he said this...

"A guy in supernatural (the TV show - his name is sam) was speaking to a guy who was turning into a daemon monster and eating people and he said...

"It doesn't matter what we are, what counts is the choices we make"

I was thinking of you and your issues, not that I really know what they are, and not that it's really important.We all have things about ourselves that we think or feel are monsterous, or ugly, or undesirable and make us feel ashamed. We start to lose when rather than making the choices, we focus on our fears and those things about us that we are ashamed of.

"There is nothing from without the person, that going into them can defile them; but the things which proceed out of a person are those that defile them"
We are judged (or should be) by the choices we make, not who we are. The beauty of this is that it is never too late to take control. It's never too late to start making the right choices.That was part of Jesus' message. We are not judged by our wealth, position, righteousness, beauty or lack of, health or lake of, intelligence or lack of, but rather by the choices we choose."

The Third was a song i was listening to on a cd i have had for ages but never listened to it b4 yesterday...the song is called History and its by Matthew West...I will put all the lyrics below but the ones that screamed at me where the one about choices and history being the past...

Its been a bad day, you've been looking back
And all you can see is everything you wish you could take back
All your mistakes, a world of regrets
All of those moments you would rather forget
I know it's hard to believe
Let me refresh your memory

Chorus:
Yesterday is history
And history is miles away
So leave it all behind you
Let it always remind you of the day
The day that love made history

You know you can't stay right where you fell
The hardest part is forgiving yourself
But let's take a walk into today
And don't let your past get in the way

Repeat chorus

Yeah Yeah

Would you believe that you are history
In the making, in the making
Every choice that you are making
Every step that you are taking
Every chain that you are breaking
History is in the making
Every word that you are saying
Every prayer that you are praying
Every chain that you are breaking
History is in the making
History is in the making
History is in the making

Repeat chorus
Yeah yeah

Oh history is in the making
Every word that you are saying
Every prayer that you are praying
Every chain that you are breaking
History is in the making
History is in the making
History is in the making

a new book...

i know i said i had a blog brewing about the cross but a new book has captured my attention and im reading it first...its called 'Is God Intolerant?' and is written my Daniel Taylor.
I have pondered this subject before, and done a lil reading on it when i was at college and as stands i would conservativly answer in the affirmative...yes God is intolerant.
He has to be...intolerant of sin and the human condition but i think it sits along side his perfect love and grace...
i have only read the introduction so far but am enjoying the book. One comment has caught my attention though and it is this...'God does not call us to be tolerant, he calls us to love.'

Makes me think of abortion and how aweful that is...and those dumb christians who stand outside clinics with banners and yell at the women going inside...it makes me soooo mad that they do that....we dont have to tolerate what happens in this world but we DO have to LOVE...why not get along side these women and support and care for them...be love instead of judgment...
hmmm interesting...cant wait to read the rest...

Psalm 139
For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

1 O LORD, You have searched me and known me.
2 You know my sitting down and my rising up;
You understand my thought afar off.
3 You comprehend my path and my lying down,
And are acquainted with all my ways.
4 For there is not a word on my tongue,
But behold, O LORD, You know it altogether.
5 You have hedged me behind and before,
And laid Your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is high, I cannot attain it.

7 Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
8 If I ascend into heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.
9 If I take the wings of the morning,
And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10 Even there Your hand shall lead me,
And Your right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall[a] on me,”
Even the night shall be light about me;
12 Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You,
But the night shines as the day;
The darkness and the light are both alike to You.

13 For You formed my inward parts;
You covered me in my mother’s womb.
14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;[b]
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.
And in Your book they all were written,
The days fashioned for me,
When as yet there were none of them.

17 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
How great is the sum of them!
18 If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand;
When I awake, I am still with You.
19 Oh, that You would slay the wicked, O God!
Depart from me, therefore, you bloodthirsty men.
20 For they speak against You wickedly;
Your enemies take Your name in vain.[c]
21 Do I not hate them, O LORD, who hate You?
And do I not loathe those who rise up against You?
22 I hate them with perfect hatred;
I count them my enemies.

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me, and know my anxieties;
24 And see if there is any wicked way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting.

Some wise words from Superchick to break through my mood...

Crawl

How long will this take
How much can I go through
My heart, my soul aches
I don`t know what to do
I bend but don`t break
And somehow I`ll get through
Cause I have you

Chorus
And if I have to crawl
Will you crawl too?
I stumble and fall
Carry me through
The wonder of it all is you
See me through
Oh Lord where are you

Oh Lord where are you
Do not forget me here
I cry in silence
Can you not see my tears
When all have left
And hope has disappeared
You find me here

Bridge
When everything I was is lost
I have forgot but you have not
When I am lost you have not lost me
When everything I was is lost
I have forgot but you have not
When I am lost you have not lost me
You have not lost me


Stand in the Rain

She never slows down
She doesn’t know why
But she knows that when she’s all alone
It feels like it’s all coming down
She won’t turn around
The shadows are long
And she fears if she cries that first tear
The tears will not stop raining down

Chorus:
So stand in the rain
Stand your ground
Stand up when it’s all crashing down
You stand through the pain
You won’t drown
And one day what’s lost can be found
You stand in the rain

She won’t make a sound
Alone in this fight with herself
And the fear’s whispering
If she stands, she’ll fall down
She wants to be found
The only way out is through everything
She’s running from
Wants to give up and lie down

So stand in the rain
Stand your ground
Stand up when it’s all crashing down
You stand through the pain
You won’t drown
And one day what’s lost can be found
You stand in the rain

In my melencholy mood i think pink floyd captured the feeling so nicly...comfortably numb...

Hello.Is there anybody in there?
Just nod if you can hear me.
Is there anyone home?

Come on, now.
I hear youre feeling down.
Well I can ease your pain,
Get you on your feet again.

Relax.
I need some information first.
Just the basic facts:
Can you show me where it hurts?

There is no pain, you are receding.
A distant ships smoke on the horizon.
You are only coming through in waves.
Your lips move but I cant hear what youre sayin.
When I was a child I had a fever.
My hands felt just like two balloons.
Now I got that feeling once again.
I cant explain, you would not understand.
This is not how I am.I have become comfortably numb.

Ok.Just a little pinprick. [ping]
Therell be no more --aaaaaahhhhh!
But you may feel a little sick.

Can you stand up?
I do believe its working. good.
Thatll keep you going for the show.
Come on its time to go.

There is no pain, you are receding.
A distant ships smoke on the horizon.
You are only coming through in waves.
Your lips move but I cant hear what youre sayin.
When I was a child I caught a fleeting glimpse,
Out of the corner of my eye.
I turned to look but it was gone.
I cannot put my finger on it now.
The child is grown, the dream is gone.
I have become comfortably numb.

All I Need...

Do you know where your heart is
Do you think you can find it
Did you trade it for something, somewhere
Better just to have it
Do you know where your love is
Do you think that you lost it
You felt it so strong but nothings
Turned out how you want it

Well bless my soul
You’re a lonely soul
Cause you wont let go
Of anything you hold

Well all I need is the air I breathe
And a place to rest my head
Do you know what your fate is
And are you trying to shake it
You’re doing your best and
You’re best look
You’re praying that you’ll make it

Well bless my soul
You’re a lonely soul
Cause you wont let go
Of anything you hold

Well all I need is the air I breathe
And a place to rest my head
Said all I need is the air I breathe
And a place to rest my head
Do you think you can find it
Do you think you can find it
Do you think you can find it
Better than you have it
Do you think you can find it
Do you think you can find it
Do you think you can find it
Better than you have it
Better than you have it
Said all I need is the air I breathe
And a place to rest my head
Said all I need is the air I breathe
And a place to rest my head
Do you know where the end is
Do you think you can see it

Until you get there
Go on, go ahead and scream it
Just say…

Obedience

Recently I started reading about the cross (of Christ) from the OT perspective. I have a blog about it but what struck me as I was reading was a different subject and one I want to write about first. It’s the topic of obedience. I read a chapter about Abraham and Gen 22.

Abraham was an amazing man. An obedient man. And I think there is a lot to be learnt from his walk and obedience that can help with our walk and obedience to God. To find out how ‘genuine’ Abrahams faith was God put him to the test. God asked Abraham to sacrifice his beloved son. And Abraham is unwaveringly obedient.

Derek Tidball speaks on the subject specifically from Gen 22:3-10 as follows...

His Obedience was prompt. ‘Early the next morning’ He didn’t wait for the ‘right time’ and he didn’t delay hoping God would change His mind, Abraham resolutely set his mind and got to the task early the very next morning. Henry Law observes that ‘prompt obedience is the surest wisdom...to linger is to court ruin. Delay is the craftiest net of Satan. It is the terrible pitfall, out of which there are rare escapes.’

His Obedience was conscientious. He had a plan and took with him all the things he would need to bring the task to fruition.

His Obedience was firm. The place God instructed Abraham to go sacrifice Isaac was 3 days travel away. Abraham remained firm in his resolution. ‘Obedience was not accomplished overnight.’ It would have taken a steady, sure determination.

His Obedience was solitary. Once they reached the foot of the mountain, apart from Isaac, Abraham went on alone. Calvin explains the solitariness of the test in terms of ‘his family was three days away and his servants were at the bottom of a steep mountain. He had to work this out on his own, neither supported nor dissuaded by any human companions.’ The road at times will for various reasons be walked alone, it is in these times our strength is found.

His Obedience was trusting. ‘Even when Abraham did not understand all, he trusted all to the God who would do right.’ Calvin says ‘being indubitably persuaded that God was faithful, he left the unknown issue to Divine Providence.’ We are finite and will at times never understand the plan and will of God and will need to blindly trust Him JUST because He is who He is.

His Obedience was humble. ‘Abraham made the unqualified statement, ‘we will worship...’ a statement that speaks of his submissive heart and rings all the more authentic because it was spoken by one who was wounded by the cost of his obedience.’

His Obedience was total. ‘Not even his precious son was to come between him and his complete, unwavering obedience to the Lord.’ Isaac was Abrahams most precious gift/love/possession, he was the promised son in whom the promises of God would be fulfilled and yet Abrahams heart was totally sold out for God, not even this promised son could take Gods place.


Conclusions
‘One purpose of the story, as mentioned earlier, was probably to teach Israel that the sort of worship that pleased God was obedience to His word rather than the ritual offering of sacrifices regardless of whether the rest of the law was obeyed or not.’

God was looking for a trusting obedience. I believe He is still looking for this kind of obedience. In the life and actions of Abraham we have a great example. It is my opinion that Abrahams obedience was made possible by his faith. Faith in God brings a strength and purpose to life in which we can have the strength to obediently follow Him knowing He has our very best at heart.
FB Meyer states ‘mighty opportunities of good -- lie along the narrow, thorn-set path of obedience to the word and will of God.’

Even if these arnt true they are sooo funny...

I got these in an email today and cracked up...thanks Tan :)
Embarrasing medical exams‏

1. A man comes into the ER and yells, "My wife's going to have herbaby in the cab!"I grabbed my stuff, rushed out to the cab, lifted the lady's dress, and began to take off her underwear. Suddenly, I noticedthat there were several cabs -- and I was in the wrong one.
Submitted by Dr. Mark MacDonald, San Antonio , TX ...

2. At the beginning of my shift, I placed a stethoscope on an elderlyand slightly deaf female patient's anterior chest wall."Big breaths,"I instructed."Yes, they used to be," replied the patient.
Submitted by Dr. Richard Byrnes, Seattle , WA

3. One day I had to be the bearer of bad news when I told a wife thather husband had died of a massive myocardial infarct.Not more thanfive minutes later, I heard her reporting to the rest of the family thathe had died of a "massive internal fart."
Submitted by Dr. Susan Steinberg

4. During a patient's two week follow-up appointment with hiscardiologist, he informed me, his doctor, that he was having troublewith one of his medications."Which one?" I asked."The patch, the nurse told me to put on a new one every six hours, and now I'm runningout of places to put it!"I had him quickly undress, and discoveredwhat I hoped I wouldn't see.Yes, the man had over fifty patches on his body!Now, the instructions include removal of the old patch beforeapplying a new one.
Submitted by Dr. Rebecca St. Clair, Norfolk , VA

5. While acquainting myself with a new elderly patient, I asked, "How long have you been bedridden?"After a look of complete confusion, sheanswered..."Why, not for about twenty years -- when my husband wasalive."
Submitted by Dr. Steven Swanson, Corvallis , OR

6. I was caring for a woman and asked, "So, how's your breakfast thismorning?""It's very good, except for the Kentucky Jelly.I can't seemto get used to the taste," the patient replied.I then asked to see thejelly, and the woman produced a foil packet labeled "KY Jelly."
Submitted by Dr. Leonard Kransdorf, Detroit , MI

7. A nurse was on duty in the emergency room when a young woman with purple hair styled into a punk rocker mohawk, sporting a variety oftattoos, and wearing strange clothing, entered.It was quicklydetermined that the patient had acute appendicitis, so she was scheduled for immediate surgery.When she was completely disrobed on theoperating table, the staff noticed that her pubic hair had been dyedgreen, and above it there was a tattoo that read, "Keep off the grass." Once the surgery was completed, the surgeon wrote a short note on thepatient's dressing, which said, "Sorry, had to mow the lawn."
Submitted by RN, no name

AND FINALLY!!!............

8. As a new, young MD doing his residency in OB, I was quiteembarrassed when performing female pelvic exams.To cover myembarrassment, I had unconsciously formed a habit of whistling softly. The middle-aged lady upon whom I was performing this exam suddenly burstout laughing and further embarrassing me.I looked up from my work andsheepishly said, "I'm sorry.Was I tickling you?"She replied, "No doctor, but the song you were whistling was, "I wish I was an OscarMeyer Wiener."Doctor wouldn't submit his name(Can't blame him!

You Can Get Arrested For That?

America is so silly sometimes...
http://www.randomhouse.com/crown/youcangetarrestedforthat/index.html

God the Great Lover – Part 3

The book of Hosea and its outcome challenges us today to consider how we are treating God. We are his beloved and he is our God. How are we treating Him? ‘with carelessness? With contempt? With a double life? a long back sliding? It will also warn us to beware the wrath of a betrayed and trampled love.’

I read recently that God’s divine love described as ‘In his general goodness God bestows various gifts upon the creature; in His love He gives Himself and holds nothing back.’ A God who gives of Himself and holds nothing back, blows my mind and yet that is who He is.

‘God is the God who bears the sins of the world and the sins of his people; Gods love is taken for granted and he is abused and rejected by thousands.’ And yet he comes to woo and to entice with a love so great and overwhelming that it can’t be denied. With a passion so great he would do what ever it takes...even send his own son to die a terrible death...that his beloved may be drawn back to him; into the covenant relationship, of joy, grace and peace but most especially love.

God the Great Lover – Part 2

And so the story continues ‘Yahweh had been a husband to Israel but he had known more pain than pleasure in the relationship. His holy love had been violated and betrayed times without number.’ So why not start over, be done with Israel and find another, a nation who would stay true and would love like no other? Because then God would be letting down his side of the covenant and like a person heartbroken, love is not easily forgotten or let go of.

In describing the love of God for Israel this is said ‘It is the character of the divine love that it is neither bland, universal benevolence nor a fickle, short-lived passion, but an altogether gracious and extraordinary love that chooses one out of a thousand and holds on to what it has chosen at all costs. And at Calvary, the divine love incarnate will pay all the costs. As with Amos so with Hosea, God has the last word, and the last word is grace.’

There are three themes repeated through the book of Hosea; ‘the seriousness of sin, the reality of judgment and the certainty of love triumphing in the end.’ Love triumphs because God loves with a ‘transcendent love which does not allow human sin and failure to have the last word.’

I find the concept of ‘God humiliated’ too hard to comprehend. It grieves me to think of it and yet there it is in the example of Hosea and his wife. You see, played out in front of Israel is their relationship with God, through the lives of Hosea and Gomer, he (Hosea) lives the history of Israel and the suffering of God. And yes God is humiliated; ‘the words ‘So I bought her’ (3:2) are filled with humiliation, pain and the priceless nobility of love.’ The prophet had to scrape together all he had to buy back his wife and as is shown many years later God himself gave his most precious possession his only son to buy back his beloved. God suffers pain and sorrow just like we do and here in Hosea we see it for ‘love makes us vulnerable and no body of people can grieve God like the church, the people of God, whenever they are worldly, callous or hurtful to one another.’

I find it interesting that Israel again and again turned from God. After all they had been through and witnessed. They walked with Him, they had such a close connection and yet they still turned. This confirms now our need for faith. If Israel saw God and His great works and could still turn from Him surely our need of faith without seeing should be of greater importance to us and therefore clung to.

‘Nothing less than such reverent awe is appropriate for Israel, who has learned in deprivation both who Yahweh is and who Baal is not, both the importance of covenant loyalty and the terror of its absence.’ And yet they struggled...

God the Great Lover – Part 1

I love the Prophets; I admire them as great men of God and see their personal sacrifices as they lived their lives as a great example of Godly living. None of these is truer than Hosea. He not only spoke the word of God to a wayward nation, he lived out the nation’s adultery in his own marriage.

I have long held that the Bible from beginning to end is the greatest love story ever written, with God at the centre of it all. Yes God is in my opinion the ultimate romantic. In the book of Hosea we see this in painfully stark reality. Through the prophesies and life of Hosea we discover ‘the secret heart of God; his innermost feelings, his profound sorrow and his sovereign grace.’

We see a God who is tender and vulnerable. WHY? Because love makes us tender and puts us in a place of profound vulnerability. Lewis describes the following ‘He is God of the cosmic drama and God of the domestic tragedy; he rides on the wings of the wind and he weeps with the heart of a rejected lover; he is catastrophic in judgment and tender in tears. ‘I am God and not man’ he cries and yet we find he is more like us than we had dared to imagine.’

God is a God of covenant, of jealous love and of judgment. The book of Hosea is written in ‘entreaty and warning, tender pathos and scalding indignation.’ I never really understood why the people of God were exiled. Intellectually I could tell you why from the bible. Because they were spiritually adulterous. But that is the cause not the reason. It just occurred to me that they had entered into covenant. So much focus is on God and Covenant and that God never breaks His Covenant. The reason for judgment and exile is simply that the people of God broke the sworn oath they had with God. And this is where the tragedy of the love story unfolds. Gods beloved, his bride, his chosen above all else, turned her back on him and adulterated herself on the alters of manmade gods.

How To Keep A Healthy Level Of Insanity!

At lunchtime, sit in your parked car with sunglasses on and point a hair dryer at passing cars. See if they slow down.
Page yourself over the intercom. Don't disguise your voice.
Insist that your email address is: Xena_Warrior_Princess@companyname.com or Elvis_the_King@companyname.com
Every time someone asks you to do something, ask if they want fries with that.
Put your garbage can on your desk and label it "IN."
Develop an unnatural fear of staplers.Put decaf in the coffee maker for 3 weeks. Once everyone has gotten over their caffeine addictions, switch to espresso.
In the memo field of all your checks, write 'for sexual favors.'
Reply to everything someone says with, "That's what you think."
Finish all your sentences with "In accordance with the prophet Jimmy."
Adjust the tint on your monitor so that the brightness level lights up the entire work area. Insist to others that you like it that way.
Don't use any punctuation.
As often as possible, skip rather than walk.
Ask people what sex they are. Laugh hysterically after they answer.
Specify that your drive-through order is "to go."
Sing along at the opera.
Go to a poetry recital and ask why the poems don't rhyme.
Find out where your boss shops and buy exactly the same outfits. Wear them one day after your boss does. This is especially effective if your boss is of the opposite gender.
Send email to the rest of the company to tell them what you're doing. For example, "If anyone needs me, I'll be in the bathroom, in stall 3."
Put mosquito netting around your cubicle. Play a tape of jungle sounds all day.
Five days in advance, tell your friends you can't attend their party because you're not in the mood.
Call 911 and ask if 911 is for emergencies.
Call the psychic hotline and don't say anything.
Have your coworkers address you by your wrestling name, Rock Hard.
When the money comes out of the ATM, scream "I Won! I Won! 3rd time this week!"
When leaving the zoo, start running towards the parking lot yelling, "Run for your lives, they're loose!"
Tell your boss, "It's not the voices in my head that bother me, it's the voices in your head that do."
Tell your children over dinner, "Due to the economy, we are going to have to let one of you go."
Every time you see a broom yell, "Honey, your mother is here!"

My tips for the day...take them or leave them...

To my sister Ruth,
My beautiful, brave sister, you inspire me...
Your wisdom and grace are amazing...
When you followed me to Brisbane I was so proud...
When I left you there I worried...
When I see the women you have blossomed into I rejoice...
I know you have your struggles but what inspires me most is your strength in the face of those struggles...
God bless your path as you finish at college
May His joy and strength always be yours
Thank You my precious, blessed sister

My biggest struggle and my souls pain

Just before writing the bulletin cover (which I blogged below) called A gift from the creator of the universe.
I was struggling with hope. I never really recognised the true issue before...in waves I get dismayed and am pulled down...on the surface I could tell you that I wanted a baby, wanted to be married, was tired of waiting, tired of life going by, tired of living at home, my sisters were buggin me, life was buggin me, feeling alone and worthless, struggling with my concept of me and in general feeling like crap...

But I have come to realise that what I am really struggling with in these times is hope.
A few weeks ago after sitting in my self righteous crap for a few weeks I was starting to take out how I was feeling on other people and was in general pushing people away. One of my new pastors had mentioned in a sermon that she made scripture cards and when whatever the issue is comes up she pulls out her card and to quote her ’kicks devil butt.’ I had heard of a few people making lists of scriptures on cards to pull out and so decided to give it a go. In my head I was thinking well the least it can do is get me into the Word so it wont be all a waste of time.
So I sat at the kitchen table with some cards, my NKJV and a concordance. Not knowing what I was going to look up or how long it was going to take.

Looking back through the cards there are several main themes that run through them. They are, hope, trust, strength, God, doing God stuff and focus (on God). The time spent reading and writing out the verses was so powerful and God ministered to my heart and brought about a measure of healing (I just counted and I have 59 cards). I was struck though by how many times hope and trust kept coming up in what I was reading.

Now to add some context to this blog...God and I weren't on specking terms cos He kept saying these three words to me and I didn't like it so I stopped listening and got angry. He was saying to me ’In My time.’ Well that’s all well and good but His time and my time seemed to be different and I right royally spat my dummy.

Anyways after my measure of healing from writing out my cards I went to ignite (the Saturday night session) and then to church on Sunday and the sermons were on similar topics...yep you guessed it trusting in the Lord and hoping in His plan with special reference in both to delighting in the Lord.

Delighting in the Lord was not a new concept to me but it felt like it. The main verses used were psalm 37: 3-4 ’trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.’ It seems so simple...delight in the Lord...and He shall give you the desires of your heart...not delight in the Lord...keep worrying, planning, doing, fretting...and maybe you will get a measure of what your looking for cos you worked at it enough...NO!!! All we need to do is to delight in Him and God does the rest...now this may seem trivial but it was huge to me...

A weight was lifted and I have been simply delighting in the Lord...I accept that He will bring things to be in His time...here’s the best bit...in delighting in the Lord, in trusting him and simply enjoying Him, my hope is constantly renewed and I am not weighed down by longing...
Proverbs speaks of deferred hope making the heart sick. And I think this is so...hope draws our focus to the future and gives us a will to go on...loss of hope creates darkness and despair.

And so to end this rather long blog I will share some of my favourite verses with you from my cards...im only going to put the references up...cos if it truly matters to you to look up the verses on hope, trust etc you will do it...if not keep them in mind for later down the road and remember hope is one of the most important things you can possess and just delight in God...it will bring you joy...
Proverbs 13:12
Proverbs 17:22
Psalms 31:24
Hebrews 10:23
Psalms 31:15a
Psalms 37:3-4
Isaiah 43:1-7 (my verses from God)
Psalm 130:1-6
Psalm 119:114
Micah 6:8
Proverbs 3:5-6

An Interesting thought...

In my reading I came across this quote in a section about election....
“If indeed the bible teaches election (or any other doctrine) then one is obligated to believe in it.”
At this point I’m not interested in election, mainly cos I don't understand it. At some point I want to do more reading but I’m not there yet. But the quote struck me...and my initial response was yea of coarse but it has made me think...do I believe everything the bible teaches just because and only because its in the bible...I should but do I...have I trained myself through my study at college to question to much instead of accepting??? Its an interesting thought...

Atonement

I’ve been reading this week about Soteriology...which is basically doctrine of salvation and has to do with atonement, justification, sanctification, propitiation etc...

I generally studied all these at college but it has been good to revisit them in more depth and time than I did before...What has caught my eye so far has been atonement...

A quick def of Atonement is the bringing of people back into a relationship with God. Literally it means At-one-ment...

In particular limited and unlimited atonement...I have decided that I lean more to the unlimited atonement camp...let me explain what it’s all about from my reading so far.

Limited atonement – suggests that the atonement of Christ is limited to a definite or particular number of people.

There are some interesting arguments for this...
1) As the good shepherd Christ died for the flock, not everyone is included in the flock (john 10:15)
2) Christ died for the church (Acts 20:28, Eph 5:25)
3) Christ died for the elect (Rom 8:32-33)

‘This would seem to indicate that Gods love is particular and not shown to all’...they back this theory up by referencing Rom 1:7, 8:29, 9:13, Col 3:12, 1 Thes 1:4, 2 Thes 2:13.
They also argue that if not everyone is saved whom Christ died/atoned for then the act is weakened.

But their biggest argument in favour of limited atonement (as far as I have read) is as follows and I’m going to quote this bit cos it’s hard to paraphrase...
‘If God is sovereign (Eph 1:11), then His plan cannot be frustrated, but if Christ died for all people and all people are not saved, then God’s plan IS frustrated. If Christ died for all people, then redemption has been made for all and all are justified.’

So if I’m getting this right the people who sit in this camp believe that Christ died for only the ‘elect’ of God because Christs act is weakened if not everyone believes. Therefore if Gods plan doesn’t come to be then that’s making God somehow imperfect cos something He did didn’t workout???

Unlimited Atonement – Christ died for everyone but His death but is effective only in those who believe the gospel.

Arguments for ...(I am for the most part quoting again here)
1) If the statements of the NT are taken at face value then it is evident they teach Christ died for everyone.
2) Limited atonement is not based on exegesis of the scripture but more on the logical premise that if Christ died for everyone and everyone is not saved then Gods plan is thwarted.
3) The world, as John describes it, is God hating, Christ rejecting and Satan dominated. Yet that is the world for which Christ died (John 1:29, 3:16, 17, 4:42, 1 John 4:14) these passages emphasize universal atonement.
4) The word ‘whosoever’ is used more than 110 times in the NT and ALWAYS with an unrestricted meaning (John 3:16, Acts 2:21, 10:43, Rom 10:13, Rev 22:17)
5) The word ‘all’ is an equivalent term used to denote everyone. Christ died for the ungodly – everyone is ungodly...Christ died for all i.e. everyone (2 Cor 5:14-15, 1 Tim 2:6, 4:10, Titus 2:11, Heb 2:9, 2 Pete 3:9)
6) The bible teaches that Christ died for sinners. The word ‘sinners’ nowhere means ‘church’ or ‘elect’, but simply all of lost mankind.

Personally I don’t see the point of limited atonement even in the very limited argument I have put out in this blog (sry I know this is a long one) Yes I know that Israel were the elect of God...He had to choose a nation to use and He chose them...I know that God has chosen people to work in and through down the ages...I guess I see this as another topic/issue altogether from atonement...Christ died for all of mankind for all time, in my opinion the biblical evidence overwhelmingly suggests that. This may just be my compassionate side but I honestly don’t think God would willingly condemn any of His beloved creation to hell (He’s not up there choosing who gets saved and who doesn’t...His desire is that all be saved as is evidenced through the whole of the bible as He has been seeking to draw people back to Him, culminating in the death of Jesus as the act of atonement to the whole of humanity and now it’s up to the individual to make the choice).

I also think that putting all this back on God and saying that if Christ died for all and all aren’t saved then Gods plan is thwarted is shirking the responsibility of each individual when it comes to their own salvation. To believe is a choice...its God granted cos He loved us so much He gave us free will to choose Him or not...Gods plan of atonement is perfect and righteous and satisfies every part of His holiness. It is then up to us whether or not we accept it...

A Promise from the Creator of the universe!

"Delight thyself also in the Lord: and He shall give the desires of thy heart".

When was the last time you delighted in something let alone the Lord?

To "delight" is to rejoice... to revel in the glory of the circumstance. And what better circumstance is there to rejoice in, than that of the Salvation of our Lord?

In the light of all that God has done for us... His death, resurrection, and great Salvation, surely it is not a burden to delight ourselves in Him! And when we do... we are promised the "desires of our heart"! What an awesome promise...

When you find yourself down, and struggling - no matter what the circumstance - start to lift up the name of Jesus, and worship Him in Spirit and Truth! You will be amazed at how the Word comes alive through your praises (it's true: He inhabits the praises of His people!), and the joy of the Lord becomes your strength!

When our focus comes off ourselves and we focus on God, when we delight in Him, He is given the space to move in our circumstance to bring about refreshment and our own delight as he grants the desires of our heart.

We are family

I have 2 rainbows groups goin here at school...this week they were on the same day cos my dayz were changed...
the topic of the day was...we are family and about how families are big and small and have stepparents and it went through some other family make ups and then i opened it up to the group and said...what does ur family look like?
there are 7 kids in each group and all 14 kids families looked/were made up differantly...
none of them were a 'traditional' family of mum and dad and kids...
my family was the only one...and im 26...
i guess my eyes are continually opened to the resiliance of children...they are awesome...

Finding God in the Tough Times

I found this and thought it very interesting...

Finding God in Tough Times
Sometimes we're looking for the wrong stuff. God isn't out of the hard time; He's with us in the hard time. God isn't always the fire escape or the exit ramp. And God doesn't cause problems. In this world, we will have trouble (John 16:33), but we are reassured that our temptations are common to man (1 Corinthians 10:13)

.1. God uses tough times to direct us.
Problems change plans. It's part of the spiritual refining process. And God uses problems to point us in new directions and down new paths. Hard times pick you up and drop you somewhere else.

1 Peter 4:12-13: "Friends, when life gets really difficult, don't jump to the conclusion that God isn't on the job. Instead, be glad that you are in the very thick of what Christ experienced. This is a spiritual refining process, with glory just around the corner."

Lamentations 3:33: "He takes no pleasure in making life hard,in throwing roadblocks in the way."
Aristotle said we only learn through pain.

Proverbs 16:9: "In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps." and Psalm 119:59: "When I took a long, careful look at your ways, I got my feet back on the trail you blazed."
You can make a plan, but God directs, and He usually does it with problems. Rarely do we question what's critically important during good times. In 1 Kings 17, God tells Elijah to go to a brook, where He will be fed by ravens and drink water from the brook. After a while, the brook dried up. If God hadn't done that, Elijah would never have moved.

Question to ask yourself: Where is this problem leading me?

2. God uses tough times to inspect us.
Jeremiah 17:10: "I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve."God gives pop quizzes - not scheduled exams.

Job 7:17-18: "What is man that you make so much of him, that you give him so much attention, that you examine him every morning and test him every moment?"God is more interested in what's on the inside. It's like a tea bag; we need to be put in "hot water", so to speak, in order to see what's on the inside. Or an avocado - you need to squeeze it to know that it's ripe.

Proverbs 16:2: "Humans are satisfied with whatever looks good; GOD probes for what is good."When you keep going through the same lesson over and over - what is God trying to show you? It only should have taken the Israelites a few weeks to go through the desert, but it took them 40 years.

Question to ask yourself: What does this tough time reveal about me?

3. God uses tough times to correct us.
Hebrews 12:8-10: "If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness."
God does not punish His children (meaning Christians); He disciplines and corrects us because He loves us. Correction always looks at the future: how can we get better/learn from this? Christ took our punishment (Isaiah 53:5). We don't have to pay for our sins.

Job 5:17: "So, what a blessing when God steps in and corrects you! Mind you, don't despise the discipline of Almighty God!" CS Lewis said, "God whispers to us in our pleasure but shouts to us in our pain." It's a spiritual megaphone.

Job 36:15: "But those who learn from their suffering, God delivers from their suffering." God uses distress to open our eyes.

Question to ask yourself: What is this problem teaching me?

4. God uses tough times to protect us.
Psalm 91:3: "That's right--he rescues you from hidden traps, shields you from deadly hazards."

What's a disappoint for us is an appointment for God.

1 Peter 3:17: "It is better, if it is God's will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil."
"Why is this happening" is not the best question. My pastor told this great story about how his dad built him and his brother a go-cart. It had a built-in part called a "Governor" that regulated it so it wouldn't go too fast. One day, his brother decided to take the governor off, get in the go-cart and drive. Well, he ended up flipping over in the go-cart! God is always trying to protect us, but often we take it into our own hands and remove the safeguard He has put in place.

Proverbs 20:24: "The very steps we take come from GOD; otherwise how would we know where we're going?"
Joseph (in Genesis) had a terrible route. Sold by his brothers into slavery, accused of rape, imprisoned. But Genesis 50:20 reassures us: "Don't you see, you planned evil against me but God used those same plans for my good, as you see all around you right now--life for many people."

Question to ask yourself: What is this problem protecting me from?

5. God uses tough times to perfect us.
1 Peter 5:10: "And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast."

There is a process that we are in the middle of. God is working in us.

Romans 5:3-4: "There's more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we're hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next."It helps us to trust in God. If we focus on the problem, and not God, the problem wins.

Question to ask yourself: How is this situation perfecting me?

Closing: God, where do You want me to go? Is there a weakness, a misplaced priority? What do You want me to learn? What is the greater good?

A thought to ponder

The will of God will never lead you where the grace of God cannot keep you...

My thoughts on God being an Interventionalist God

I think that ever since sin entered the world man has been bent on making his own way in the world and for the most part God has been left behind. I believe that God IS an interventional God with the chief evidence for this being that He sent Jesus. What would be the point of creating this world and in particular humans (and Genesis says humans were created in Our image’ and for/to be in communion with God) and then stepping back and leaving everything be?

So in my understanding there are 2 views of God in this area
1 Non-Interventionalist God, we have made our own mess. After creation God stepped back to watch the show. This gives a picture of an unfeeling God. A God who is apart from His creation and who does not care.
2 Interventionalist God, this I see as a God of love, who is doing everything He can to bring His people back to Him. Restricted by our own free will however.

Evidence from the bible that God is an Interventionalist God…
There are stories upon story in the bible of God’s gracious and or judgmental intervention in both the lives of inderviduals and in whole communities. In no particular order here are a few such examples.

Luke 7: 11-17 healing of the dead man
2 Kings 4: 1-7, 8-17 provision for the faithful
Isaiah 43: 19 a way where there is no way
Abraham: Genesis 12: 1-5, 15: 1-6, 17: 1-8, 18: 11-14, 21: 1-8, How long did Abraham wait? Was he denied?
Bartimeus: Mark 10: 46-52 He prayed and the Lord answered
The women with the issue of blood: Mark 5: 25-34 her faith and desperation
The man at the pool in Bethesda: John 5: 1-9 God is still going about His mercy

Again and again God intervenes in the plight of the Israelites in the old testament and of coarse the most valid picture for an Interventionalist God is that of Jesus Christ. The Son of God sent to redeem and to bring a people…all people back to the Father.

I also believe however that there is a part on our side to be played when it comes to divine intervention. It always comes from God but man must play his part.
Faith, if we could simple believe God without doubting Him. Hebrews 11: 6, Mark 11:22-24.
Prayer, Ask Him, Seek Him, be in communion with Him. Matt 7:7-11, 1 Sam 1: 10 -12, come to Him with boldness Hebrews 10: 22.
Obedience, Isaiah 1: 19 obedience is better than some sacrifices and genesis 22: 10-19 Abraham obeyed and God acted in time.
Holiness, walk in holiness Hebrews 12: 14.

It is not in the nature of God to force anything on anybody. For any blessing including divine intervention, there must be willingness and yeildedness to the hand of God.

And this is where free will enters…If we are not willing and yielded how can God intervene? To intervene in our free will is to take away that free will. God does not intervene with our capacity to exercise our free will, whether we use it for the betterment or the detriment of ourselves and others. The issue of sin and free will is one of the most troubling to get your head around (least that’s what I find). I have put it in the basket called ‘God knows and understands and that’s ok…I don’t have to’ I accept by faith that it is all ok because God is in control. And I remember this…The bible speaks of praying for each other, praying for ourselves, intercession etc, suggesting that God DOES intervene in the lives of His People.

The Stand

You stood before creation
Eternity within Your hand
You spoke the earth into motion
My soul now to stand

You stood before my failure
Carried the Cross for my shame
My sin weighed upon Your shoulders
My soul now to stand

So what can I say
What can I do
But offer this heart
O God Completely to You

So I'll walk upon salvation
Your Spirit alive in me
This life to declare Your promise
My soul now to stand

So what can I say
What can I do
But offer this heart
O God Completely to You

So I’ll stand
With arms high and heart abandoned
In awe of the One who gave it all
So I’ll stand
My soul Lord to You surrendered
All I am is Yours

Heart Sore

I don’t understand why I’m so heart sore...or do I...I actually think I have a pretty good grasp on the why...it just won’t filter down to my heart...

There are so many awesome things going on right now and I am happy and yet underneath I am heart sore. At the moment I feel like its washing over me and pulling me down...truth be told I think deep down I know the remedy...the remedy is allowing hope to flourish.

Last week when telling someone about my week and giving prayer points I described my life at present as quite calm...I had said I felt like everything was going well and it felt happy and like I was sitting in the calm of the storm...you know that moment before a storm hits when everything is calm and at peace...I was happy with work, friends, and life in general. I felt blessed that we had found an awesome house and were moving, I felt like things at school were turning around and I was making some kind of positive impact and in general I just felt blessed...
And so maybe that’s it...here’s the next storm...but this storm doesn’t seem to go away...it just recedes for a while then comes back worse than the time before.

The storm is loneliness...I’m tired of being alone...and yet I have almost convinced myself I should start accepting that I will be alone forever...which not only sucks but cuts me at my very core. And because of this I don’t let myself hope or pray for that special someone to come along cos I don’t want to set myself up for the possible fall when it never happens...so this is my struggle...pain now or pain later and what is the effect on me and my future...

Pain now, is accepting I will always be alone and living with that reality and walking through the storms of loneliness as they come...

Pain later, letting myself hope and dream for a husband and children and sometime down the track feeling the pain of unrealised hopes and dreams...

Right now I just reread what I wrote and I don’t want anyone to think that I’m really sad and depressed and upset and down and whatever cos I’m not...this is just one aspect of my life...and I do love my life, I love my friends, I love my church, I love my fellowship group, I love my family and I love my work... This is just one struggle I face that is becoming annoying...

Anyways I had to get it out...I’m at school and trying to listen to the kids share their heartbreaking stories while mine was hurting for myself was killing me...but I feel better for typing it out and will now go back to listening to the kids...

What will you choose to do...

This song by the Dave Crowder Band touches my heart...in my job i see so much hurt and pain...i want to be the kind of person that takes the time with people and shares the love of Christ even when they dont realise it...i want to to flow from me and be like a calming balm on the hurting...i think we have the power to change something...we just have to be determined...determined to love and determined to be used...used by God to change the world...

And the problem is this
We were bought with a kiss
But the cheek still turned
Even when it wasn’t hit

And I don’t know
What to do with a love like that
And I don’t know
How to be a love like that

When all the love in the world
Is right here among us
And hatred too
And so we must choose
What our hands will do

Where there is pain
Let there be grace
Where there is suffering
Bring serenity
For those afraid
Help them be brave
Where there is misery
Bring expectancy

And surely we can change
Surely we can change
Something

And the problem it seems
Is with you and me
Not the Love who came
To repair everything

Where there is pain
Let us bring grace
Where there is suffering
Bring serenity
For those afraid
Let us be brave
Where there is misery
Let us bring them relief

And surely we can change
Surely we can change
Oh surely we can change
Something

Oh, the world’s about to change
The whole world’s about to change

A Thought to Ponder...

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass...its about learning to dance in the rain.

Discipleship

Found this essay as well...its on Jesus' teaching on discipleship...its interesting...looking back at old essays is quite thought provoking...truth be told i dont remember writing this one...was probably one of the ones i churned out because i had another of similar size due on the same day...

Synopsis

This exegetical paper will be looking at Luke 6:38-42. Focus is given to the contexts of the passage, those being historical, canonical and literary context. Then moving on to an analysis of the passage, looking at several topics that are strung together under the theme of leadership. This passage is Jesus’ teaching on how to be a good disciple and leader, He describes the characteristics that should be present in an effective disciple. Characteristics such as being non-judgmental, when it comes to other people, all people have issues in life and a disciple should be aware of their own before they judge and try to change others. This comes in a line of wider teaching on love for enemies, Jesus is teaching his disciples and a small group of others directly. Finally an application will be looked at for today, and what can be learnt from this passage that will impact the way we as Christians live today.

Introduction
This exegetical paper will be focusing on Luke 6:37-42. In this the passage Jesus is teaching about judging others and certain character traits that a disciple should adopt. In fact this is a major theme through a section of what seems to be stringed together sayings of Jesus. The passage is in effect four lessons on judgment and a call to righteousness.[1] These themes will be looked at as well as where the passage fits in Scripture. As well as other minor themes such as giving to others, and finally what lessons can be drawn out of it for both then and for us now.

Historical Context
The writer of this text does not add his name visibly as any of us would to a work but we can however be reasonably confident that it was Luke of Antioch that wrote it.[2] One of the biggest evidences for this is that it is a companion to and was probably originally joined to the book of Acts.[3] The books are dedicated to the same person, Theophilus. A further link is the language and style of the books.[4]
Luke’s account of the gospel was dedicated/written to Theophilus so that he might ‘know the truth concerning the things about which he [Theophilus] have been instructed.’(ch1 vs 4) Luke a highly educated physician was a Gentile by birth and had a profound grasp on the Greek language. Most scholars place the writing of Luke somewhere in the period of 60 – 90 AD. There is some evidence for a later date in this 30 period, evidence such as, the writer looks back on the destruction of Jerusalem (Luke 21:24), the death of Paul (Acts 20:25, 38; 21:13), and he is a third generation Christian into preserving the story of salvation history.[5]

Canonical Context

The teaching on treatment/judgment of others is a theme that threads its way through the whole of the Bible.[6] The theme of teaching and being a good leader/teacher for example is something that man struggled with for sometime, it is not a new concept that Jesus is bringing to the table.[7] In these verse Jesus is now giving the example in his teaching of what it means to live out, do and put in place some of the issues man has struggled with.


Literary Context

The passage being exegeted comes in a line of Jesus’ instruction to the disciples.[8] It’s a continuation of and fleshing out of verse 35 of chapter 6.[9] This teaching comes after the first year of His ministry, in which He was a teacher and healer to the multitudes. Now however ‘the time had come to “organise” His followers and declare just what His kingdom was all about.’[10] Morris states this passage is a number of sayings loosely connected together and that the theme that ties them together is leadership.[11] In agreement with this is Craddock saying that the evidence for the loosely tied sayings can be seen ‘not only internally but in the fact that Matthew has scattered these sayings in several contexts (Matt. 7:1-5; 15:14; 10:24-25).’[12]

Analysis

Verse 37-38
“Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven; give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put in your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.”

Jesus teaching here is to love and not judge. The underlying theme is that ‘love is to be seen in our attitude to judging our fellows’[13] Here there are four parts, two negative and two positive, this stems from the previous verses.[14] In the matter of discerning right and wrong Jesus was adamant, but what he did not tolerate was ‘unjust and hypocritical judging of others.’[15]
Seen here are implicit instruction on how to treat others in life. Jesus tells His disciples to behave in ways that for most humans is very hard. Not to judge or condemn goes almost against the nature of selfish, self-righteous, easily jealous individuals. Yet it is a command to be followed not for what can be gained with an eternal focus but for life in the present. They [the disciples] are told to treat people with justice and fairness, as they themselves would want to be treated and then God will give to them in return what they have given. In speaking of the four imperatives of these verses Bock holds to a theme of mercy, saying, that the command is to ‘an attitude that is hesitant to condemn and quick to forgive. What is prohibited is an arrogance that reacts with hostility to the worldly and morally lax, viewing such people as beyond God’s reach.’[16] This is seeing people where they are in their sin and seeking to instead of judge them and leave them, to come alongside them show them mercy by showing them God and life.
In many senses the commands are one of reaping what is sown, judge and be judged, give and it will be given to you.[17]
Is this a command to not judge in all forms and areas of life? No. It is still necessary to make judgments in such areas as law courts and with relation to church discipline.[18] These judgments need discernment but are at the root of order and without them disorder would occur.
The idea of being filled given a good measure in a persons lap may refer to the ‘way the outer garment was worn, leaving a fold over the belt[19] that could be used as a large pocket[20] to hold a measure of wheat.’[21] Jesus teaches his followers to give[22] and give with an open heart.[23] The good measure given back to a person isn’t just a bit of what they gave, no, it goes above and beyond. It is ‘a generous measure, packed full and overflowing.’[24] And so it can be said that the rewards which are promised is not wholly eternal but here in this lifetime.[25]
However there is a condition on what the giver will get in return and that is conditional to how the giver measures what they give. This is seen in 2 Corinthians 9:6[26] It must be kept in mind that ‘it is not man but God who recompenses. And God is far richer than man!’[27] The contrast to this call to be a compassionate giver is seen in Luke 18:9-14, in the conduct of the Pharisee, ‘whose pride led him to judge others just by looking.’[28]
Only God can truly see a persons motives, it is pointless and harmful for man to judge man for they truly do not know the circumstances. And for this same reason it is God who truly knows how to compensate/payback or return a measure to a giver.

Verse 39-40
He also told them a parable: “Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit? A disciple is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully qualified will be like a teacher.[29]

“Jesus now turns to the responsibility that rests on disciples to make more disciples.”[30] This is done through three metaphors, that would have brought understanding to the listening disciples. Stein calls them proverbs[31] saying “the following parable is a proverb…in the form of two rhetorical questions and expects a negative answer for the first and a positive answer for the second.”[32]
The first is the blind leading the blind. A blind person can not see what is ahead, cant see the potholes or rocks in the road and so it is pointless for him to lead another blind person down the road. And so it must be said that a Christian can not help any one if they [the Christian] can not see where they are going. This is more than a physical ailment however, it is a spiritual ailment and leaves one stumbling around like a blind man making his way down the road.
Stein indicates the parable has a possible three meanings; the first of these is that it is a polemic address against false teachers. This is discounted by the fact that the disciples are the main audience here. The second is that the parable describes that character needed to keep commands; Stein also discounts this for lack of evidence. The third is the hazards of blindness to a persons own faults when judging others.[33]
These two verses if taken together could also be a “warning…against leadership which presumes to guide others in the matters that the leader has not personally understood, believed, or appreciated. Disciples who follow such blind and hypocritical leaders can expect to be no different.”[34]
In this time the availability of literature was widespread and so pupils relied heavily on their teachers, and teachers carried a huge responsibility.
It would seem that the majority of scalars agree it is hard to “decide what connection exists between these and the foregoing portion of the sermon.”[35] And are of the view that “the central importance of Jesus call to love of enemies and non-judgemental generosity is examined from various angles. One should not be led by blind teachers who suggest another way”[36]
So who is the right teacher and example that the disciples are to listen to, follow and pass on what they have learned? Its Jesus, his teaching is to be taken to heart and lived out in life. It is the outworking of the teaching, the believing and putting into practice that leads to the ‘sight’ spoken of.

Verse 41-42
Why do you see the speck in your neighbour’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? Or how can you say to your neighbour, ‘friend, let me take out the speck in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of you’re your eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speak out of your neighbour’s eye.
Towards the end of this section Jesus rebukes hypocrisy[37] with the use of two more images a speak and a log.[38] The arrangement of Lk 6:41-42 closely resembles that of Matt 7:3-5,[39] however Luke includes the ‘voc. Adelphe in vs 42b.’[40]
If time is taken to picture this log hanging out of someone’s eye it is quite humorous, Jesus although using a typical technique of the Rabbis[41] of his time is also seen as having a sense of humour.[42] This picture created by Jesus is a hyperbole[43]…an over the top example that grabs attention and can be easily remembered.
IT is a call for the disciples to live with integrity in the way they conduct them selves and the way they treat others. The central theme of these verses is that of “Jesus’ admonition in his own rebuke of those who see the faults of others but not of themselves…Jesus indicates persons who attempt to substantiate their own piety through censuring the shortcomings of others as acting inconsistently.”[44] But in truth it is these very people who seek the approval of the public and who are the inconsistent ones, they want popularity but don’t live a life worthy of it.[45]
The gospel of Thomas according to Fitzmyer quotes “The speck that is in your brother’s eye you see, but the beam in your own eye you do not see. When you cast the beam out of your own eye, then you will see clearly to cast the speck out of your brother’s eye.”[46] People are blind to their own sin, their own short comings. It may be that what is needed is ‘self-criticism’[47], what Jesus is getting at is, the disciples should able to look at themselves critically and assess where they are at in their own lives and to be able to work on that, get themselves right in the sight of God with no considerable fault, before they can start or effectively helping others.[48]
Galatians 6:1 says ‘My friends, if anyone is detected in a transgression, you who have received the Spirit should restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness.’ (NRSV) This adds another characteristic to helping people see their wrongs. It is to be done with gentleness, humility and only by those who have received the Spirit, “Jesus wants disciples to be a moral encouragement to one another, but there is a proper way to go about it.”[49]
Marshall states quite adamantly that the concluding verses to this section rule out judging entirely, saying “the saying is a parabolic piece of teaching, whose meaning is crystal clear, and indeed all the sharper for being expressed in the form. Judging others is completely excluded, since we can never make ourselves perfect.”[50] It is ideal then that a person deal with their out transgressions and short comings before they seek to in anyway judge/guide another person and even then be slow to judge, always remembering to do so with humility and gentleness when guided by the Spirit.

Application
The two overriding themes in these verses is teaching on being a good disciple and teacher. So what does it mean to do this, it means being a giving, humble, gentle, right with God in your own faults and dealings and willing to be open to give and to receive. To hold back judgments, realising you can’t see the full picture of a person, only God can, but if the need arises only judge gently through the leading of the Spirit and with Christian love and care for the other person involved.
In the end two truths ring clear firstly do to others as you would have them do to you[51] and secondly you get out of life what you put into it, if you are open and giving you receive, whereas if you are closed and stingy people will be more hesitant to give or associate with you. It is a huge responsibility to have, that of being a disciple or teacher but the rewards when done with honest and true motives far out way the negatives.

Conclusion
In this passage we saw Jesus describe the kind of life that a ‘disciple is called’[52] to. A life of compassionate giving, of learning, looking at oneself before others when it comes to iniquities. The role of teachers to their disciples is a great one full of responsibility.[53] The warnings given here by Jesus should not be looked at as ‘rules to be obeyed’ rather as ‘attitudes of the heart that express itself positively when others are negative, and generously when others are selfish, all to the glory of God.’[54] We see here good example of not how just to treat our enemies as earlier in Luke but all people and ourselves.


[1] Darrell L, Bock, Luke 1:1-9:50 (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1994), 605 & 610.
[2] Craig A. Evans, Luke (Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, 1990), 1-2.
[3] Raymond E. Brown, An Introduction to the New Testament (New York: Doubleday, 1996), 225.
[4] D.A. Carson & Douglas J. Moo, An Introduction to the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1992), 201.
[5] Udo Schnelle, The History And Theology Of The New Testament Writings (London: SMC Press Ltd, 1998), 243.
[6] There are 2 different forms of this [treatment of others] however one Devine and one sin filled. God’s judgment is Devine; it is sovereign and just in all facets. Where as man’s judging is full of spite, jealousy and poor perspective.
[7] Abraham and Moses as well as many other leaders through the bible struggled with inadequacy and not living up to the description of a good leader teacher.
[8] Has by some been called the ‘Sermon on the Slade’ and refers to when Jesus called his disciples together and taught them all that he had been and would be going out to preach and teach.
John R.H. Moorman, The Path to Glory (London: SPCK, 1963), 73.
[9] Joel B. Green, The Gospel of Luke (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1997), 275.
[10] Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary Vol 1 (Illinois: Victor Books, 1989), 189.
[11] Leon Morris, Luke (Leicester: Inter-Varsity Press, 1974), 145.
[12] Fred B. Craddock, Luke (Louisville: John Knox Press, 1990), 85.
[13] Morris, 145.
[14] See Luke 6: 35-36.
[15] NIV Study Bible (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2002), 1582.
[16] Bock, 605-6.
[17] Jesus is saying that how they treated others would a direct impact on how God would treat them.
[18] Robert H. Stein, Luke (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1992), 211.
[19] It is apparent from Ruth 3:15 that the pocket in the garment can hold quite a large amount of grain. ‘He also said, “Bring me the shawl you are wearing and hold it out.” When she did so, he poured into it six measures of barley and put it on her. Then he went back to town.’ (NIV)
[20] Morris, 146.
[21] NIV Study Bible, 1582.
[22] See Matt 7:11; 10:8; 10:42 etc.
[23] The first is that the person being given something is blessed and second the giver is blessed, it works both ways. Another advantage to being open enough to give people will feel more inclined to give to you in return.
[24] John Nolland, Luke 1-9:20 (Dallas: Word Books, 1989), 304.
[25] Wiersbe, 193.
[26] ‘The point is this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.’ (NRSV)
[27] William Hendriksen, The Gospel of Luke (Edinburgh: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1979), 358.
[28] Darrell L. Bock, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1996), 192.
[29]The first part of verse 40 is identical to Matthew 10:244a.

[30] Morris, 146.
[31] Green makes this same point calling it a “Proverbial instruction” siting Luke 4:23; 5:36 as other examples of this. 277.
[32] Stein, 212.
[33] Stein, 212-3.
[34] Craddock, 92.
[35] Norval Geldenhuys, The Gospel of Luke (Grand Rapids: WM. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1977), 213.
[36] Nolland, 306.
[37] It is interesting to note here that in the times of Luke the word hypocrite carries different connotations to what is does today, “in parlance contemporary with Luke, a ‘hypocrite’ might refer to someone whose behaviours were nor determined by God (LXX), or someone who is playing a role, acting a part (Roman theatre). Green, 279.
[38] Morris, 147.
[39] C.F. Evans, Saint Luke (London: SCM Press, 1990), 338.
[40] Joseph A. Fitzmyer, The Gospel According to Luke I-IX (New York: Doubleday, 1981), 642.
[41] Morris, 147.
[42] Craig A. Evans, Luke (Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, 1990), 108.
also see Bock, 128.
[43] NIV Study Bible, 1582.
[44] Green, 279.
[45] Marshall, 271.
[46] Fitzmyer, 642.
[47] Craddock, 92.
[48] One should be “looking carefully to oneself before offering criticism.” Bock, 127.
[49] Bock, 128.
[50] Marshall, 270.
[51] Luke 6:31
[52] Moorman, 76.
[53] Craddock, 92.
[54] Wiersbe, 193.