To Do Good is Essential

For if you exercise restraint in the doing of good, you will commit a great sin.

http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/shepherd.html

Useless Standards

If Jesus was so perfect and He suffered so much
how much is credited to Him on this earth let alone in heaven.

By making the criteria social and earthy even Christ could not meet the desires of earth's community and He is God. But I suppose that is the point.

So if a community on earth has standards that God himself will not meet then what is the meaning of their ideas? e.g. A perfectly made bed.

The meaning of perfection is lost in the reliance upon it. It does not take humanity anywhere that it needs to go. It is like a whitewash over the true needs of the human being.

In Honor of Christ

Saint Patrick's Breastplate

I bind myself to-day
The strong Name of the Trinity,
By invocation of the same,
The Three in One and One in Three.

I bind this day to me for ever
By pow'r of faith, Christ's Incarnation;
His baptism in Jordan river;
His death on Cross for my salvation;
His brusting from the spicèd tomb;
His riding up the heav'nly way;
His coming at the day of doom;
I bind unto myself today.


I bind unto myself today
The virtues of the star-lit heaven,
The glorious sun's life-giving ray,
The whiteness of the moon at even,
The flashing of the lightning free,
The whirling wind's tempestous shocks,
The stable earth, the deep salt sea,
Around the old etrnal rocks.


Chirst be with me, Christ within me,
Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort and restore me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love me,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.


I bind unto myself the Name,
The strong Name of the Trinity;
By invocation of the same,
The Three in One, and One in Three.
Of Whom all nature hath creation:
Eternal Father, Spirit, Word:
Praise to the Lord of my salvation,
Salvation is of Christ the Lord.

Emissarianship

Persecution will spread the light. (Ellen White)


This is probably why early Christians were forced to move from place to place, to be God's emissaries to be everywhere that He wants to reach and to also block the unholy deeds of Satan.

Strengthen your decision

We are on this earth for a decision. As Christ said, He came to earth to separate between those who accept Him and those who reject Him.

Our time here is spent developing and proving our choice. God is giving us time to choose Him. Those who choose Him have their choice strengthened by trials.

The time is short. Eternity is long. (Dietrich Bonhoeffer)

This is the time of decision. It is not the time for pursuing new spiritual states outside of what God gives us through the Holy Spirit.
The commands of God are simple and the whole gospel is simple because it is impossible for us to do. It is really God who does it after we accept Him. (Can you imagine an exalted God waiting for His mangy children to accept Him!)

This earth is a rescue mission and we have eternity to spend on other things.

Turning away

Fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Matt. 10.27

Which means to fear anything that turns your heart away from Christ.

It is not that God does not like pleasure or money or all of the things that He created us to enjoy. It is a temporary need for restraint.

Beware of men

Beware of men

Do not expect men to be able to do any good since Satan may at any time control us all.

Expect little but give what heaven gives to you seems to be the theme -- to treat them as though they were Christ. (EGW)

No man can be true to God without exciting opposition. (Ellen G. White)

And so agape becomes joy

If only they would give up everything else and have only agape love.

It seems as though agape love is actually a kind of submission

it is first love and acknowledgement of God

and then an openness and obedience that treats others as God has commanded us to.

Then this submission and obedience dictates our conduct towards others and directs the heart's compassions.

And so agape becomes joy.

Love is stronger than death

Men love darkness and it seeps into their souls. "I came that men might have light," and not by anything in sight, but through faith.

I cannot fight love
when our heart's desires are bound to something it is impossible to break this bond apart.

For love is stronger than death.

So then, if they choose to follow what they need instead of God

they are bound forever

what they need will devour them.

God help me, it is far beyond my strength or understanding. Bless me with the gift of obedience.

The separations

He who was an ethereal, powerful and omnipotent creator chose those twelve to represent HIM. The Christians are not a difficult social group to fit into. You will find poor and some rich, unsure and devoted.

The essence of God is not destroyed by these things. If He accepts them into heaven, He will make them ethereal and noble as well. They have all that it takes. They have chosen to believe and give their all.

The important and necessary part of humanity is not in the flesh, it is in the mind, the thinking, and the devoted heart.

Because we are so easily seduced Christ says to love Him alone and foremost so that nothing else will enslave us.

So this tearing apart of the canvas of the universe destroyed a picture, restored by God being made flesh and raising humans to a level of restorative.

The peace and harmony will endure.

This tearing is still going on, this separation. Each time a Christian chooses to love God instead of an earthly love a tear is made. Each time a Christian embraces suffering rather than turning from God another tear is made. The heart of the universe is being torn apart and as a consequence is burying the unholy that have turned from God.

Our suffering is the pain of separation as the fallen spirits call us to their side and God tries to hold us back from destruction.

Everything is being removed and renewed in heaven and on earth.

Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.
Numbers 16.21

by Kenyon Cox

Found on Art.com

http://www.art.com/asp/sp-asp/_/PD--10022790/Christ_1905.htm?sOrig=CAT&sOrigID=7566&ui=AD9240122AFE4FF181D02BEAAFC3E174

From Lamentations

The LORD himself has scattered them; he no longer watches over them. Lam 4.16

Christ cried over Jerusalem's destruction, so I suppose that there are some things that cannot be avoided.

To my parents

I just wanted to thank you for giving me some advice some time ago. You said to me "Just follow Jesus" and I remembered this and it helped me get through so many difficulties. I prayed today and I have been realizing that Jesus is Truth and must be obeyed.

But God has taken me through so many awful spiritual experiences -- and I believe that He is helping me to be defended against the wickedness that is coming into the world.
But I am glad because Your advice helped to sweep away doubts and confusion. It was a blessing from God.

Mom and Dad, I think that even in the worst of spiritual idolatries, if we give up something our hearts will return to God.

As it says in Lamentations :

Let him sit alone in silence, for the LORD has laid it on him. Let him bury his
face in the dust— there may yet be hope. Let him offer his cheek to one who
would strike him, and let him be filled with disgrace. Lamentations
3.28-30

When you are in the dust and have given up everything you own in the world, and God is moreimportantn to youthann yourdailyy bread, then God can reach you. As long as He gives you the strength to be faithful.

If all other loves are submitted to Him, then He will reign. He has to be everything.
It is always nice if you can retreat to a sanctuary, and ask God to take everything that distracts you from Him.

Necessary Love

It is such a necessary thing to find love, it is important that they, in sincerity, seek love. It is such a part of the wholeness of living. I would never destroy wholesome love because it is lovely. The more people who can find peace and love the better.

They were not seeking to know the truth, but to find some excuse for evading it

We avoid the simplicity of obedience.




The perception and appreciation of truth, He said, depends less upon the mind than upon the heart. Truth must be received into the soul; it claims the homage of the will. If truth could be submitted to the reason alone, pride would be no hindrance in the way of its reception. But it is to be received through the work of grace in the heart; and its reception depends upon the renunciation of every sin that the Spirit of God reveals. Man's advantages for obtaining a knowledge of the truth, however great these may be, will prove of no benefit to him unless the heart is open to receive the truth, and there is a conscientious surrender of every habit and practice that is opposed to its principles. To those who thus yield themselves to God, having an honest desire to know and to do His will, the truth is revealed as the power of God for their salvation. These will be able to distinguish between him who speaks for God, and him who speaks merely from himself. The Pharisees had not put their will on the side of God's will. They were not seeking to know the truth, but to find some excuse for evading it; Christ showed that this was why they did not understand His teaching.
DA 455



We think of a thousand inventions; but we neglect the one thing needful. Spurgeon

Naaman's servants went to him and said, "My father, if the prophet had told
you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then,
when he tells you, 'Wash and be cleansed'!" So he went down and dipped
himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his
flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.
2 Kings 5.13,14

"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many
things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."
Luke 10.41

It is the spiritual worship which is most acceptable to God, not the external in any form or shape. It is the heart that has fellowship with the Lord; and it needs little in the way of expressing itself, neither has God tied it down to this way or that. It may find its own methods of utterance so long as it is truly "moved by the Holy Ghost" [and] broken before God and worshipping Him in spirit and in truth. Spurgeon

After reading J'accuse

I am reading Emile Zola's J'accuse in translation.


J'accuse -- In French with an English Translation

I am enjoying his writing, but I am wondering why he chose mainly to reflect public opinion, albeit eloquently. When I originally read only the introductory paragraphs the article sounded pure and uplifitng like a Declaration of Independence. In certain instances it is nice to read about the personal habits of Jefferson and others (Washington et al), about their wooden teeth and unexpected progeny. You would think that a politically influential writer would try to influence by being at least more extreme in one direction or the other.

In any case I am actually encouraged to see how much effort goes into influencing public opinion, because it seems to indicate that in general it takes more effort than I thought it did to overcome the consciences of the people. I thought most automatically did wrong, I did not realized that they had to be convinced and brainwashed.

The bondage of small things

During times of great Satanic pressure it is probably best to avoid even smaller evils. God forgive them for excessive destruction, unnecessary evils and spiritual bondage of your children. Physical bondage is one thing spiritual another.


The importance of small things, by Spurgeon

A God of pleasure and beauty

If any man thirsts let Him come and drink. The whole purpose its to have Jesus show us how to be free.

Satan doesn't love anyone, no matter how much he flatters. He wants to keep us from God.

Jesus is not against riches or pleasure, it is just that here we cannot keep ourselves from selling our hearts to these things.

He is trying to keep us free long enough to reach a place where we can be rich eternally.

It is ridiculous to think that God who created pleasure would take it away from us. He just needs us to make sure we only worship Him.

The sin

God, will I never be able to write at all since I often make mistakes.

Consider the lilies

The bird flies
unknowing
blind
to seek
and God places food for them to meet.

God hides treasures and gifts in our lives which we must search out and find.
Others rely on themselves (aka Gentiles)

Seek righteousness
then seek
food

So it might be similar to loving your neighbor
it is to be done
as you love yourself

He tells us what God has given us
and promises
still to
give

He will always continue

God does not stop concerning Himself with our lives.

Warm wind and blue sea

Her embrace is like a warm and sunny day in a field of hay, or a mass of glowing flowers -- and a strong wind and a blue sea and all vigorous beautiful elemental things springing from the heart , and nature itself.

-- Ruth Draper, from Letter of Ruth Draper

Wouldnt it be nice if people were this pleasant instead of spiritually violent?

A satisfying performance

(About Ruth Draper) Rarely satisfied with her own performance . . .

Perhaps my standards are too low or t0o casual? I think everything is fine and ok.

Living love and feeling love

I will try phileo love and make some social effort, since I have a smidgen of energy. Love with compassion is one thing, love with affection another .

Perhaps if I consider this the human condition, it will allow me to layer it properly instead of trying to remold it.

To judge is to murder. It is to discard.

It seems as though Jesus tested His disciples, He did not let let just anyone follow Him. Not that He did not let them, but the cost was to be considered.

Prayer 0719

God, thank you for Your blessings and Your protections. Please help me to do what is right. Please deliver me from all unholiness and trouble. God, I want to obey You in all things.
They allow the argument.
There are so many commands Holy God, please help me to obey them all.
There are so many principles, please help me to find them.
Let me merciful God find these things and by Your grace minister to others as You have blessed me.
There are so many things that can be done.
God, please in Your mercy redistribute resources according not only to the good that can be done, but according the the degree of obediance. Teach me to obey You in all things even in things I don't understand.
I need to find more things in the bible. When was the last time I did a bible study?

Entropy

The black American experience is a very limited and narrow experience. The culture limits itself to what it considers 'cool' and powerful. It is suffocating for those who are not in it.

My father for example raised us litening to a wide variety of music. Non - Americans are part of the world culture that exchange ideas and flavors in order to enhance life. We listened to musicals and all kinds of classical music.

The exposure and interest is radically different and narrow. As i am seeking to expand my experience, the absolute last thing that I will do is limit myself for the sake of narrow minded people, black or white.

In fact the whole American culture is backwords and is devoid of philosophy. Restricting the experience of more cultured beings because of the ignorance of a few (unfortunately) rich is regressive. How awful that the world is made into a Carl Sandburg poem. (hogbutchers rule the world -- YUCK).

At the same time the fragility of progressive and creative thought -- it is such a shame to cut off the circumstances necessary for development.

But at the same time prophetically, perhaps it is time for an entropic implosion.

Using your children as an excuse for selfishness

If you want to know what God thinks of money, just look at the people he gave it to. Dorothy Parker

Actually, people with money can't all be like Abraham, but I don't think that she is talking about attitude or personality, but generosity. This lack of generosity eventually turns into violent destruction towards others and insipid self-serving behaviors.

To be as generous as Abraham, or Job, or any of the many wealthy biblical heroes, we have to realize that money is not for us to hoard, but to do our job, which is to be a source of relief and comfort in the world. We are given resources as stewards, as middlemen in the processing of money.

"But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from
you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?' Luke 12.20

Perhaps this is one of the talents that God gives to people which is supposed to be a means of transforming the lives of others.

It is a deception of Satan to preach that it is necessary for us to be selfish for the sake of our children. If we are supposed trust God to take care of us, how much more are we to trust him to take care of our children, who do not belong to us, but to him. This is a popular lie to justify destructive and essentially evil behaviors. God gives us grace and provides for us, but we are never relieved from our duty to provide for the less fortunate. If Christ while He was on earth would share His own meal with those who needed food, how much more are we even when we are poor under obligation to give.

The widow of Zarephath was commanded by God through Elijah to take the very last of her food before she and her child starved to death and give it to the prophet of God, so that she could be provided for by God.

There is no one who calls himself Christian who can allow himself to excuse this Satanic spirit on the basis of necessity.

I King 17.13 Elijah said to her, "Don't be afraid. Go home and do as you have
said. But first make a small cake of bread for me from what you have and bring
it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. 14 For this is what
the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'The jar of flour will not be used up and the
jug of oil will not run dry until the day the LORD gives rain on the land.'
"

Flash and shine

There used to be, regardless of flash or shine, respectable and decent people. These are what I consider regular people. When I say mob, I mean people who behave like scavengers picking at their fellow human beings for scraps. This behavior is encouraged in modernity, but it needs to be rehabilitated.

The most comfortable society should be one of spirit-filled Christians because the grace of Christ will help smooth away the rough spots and to bond people together in true communion.

Judging

I kind of agree that to judge is to murder.

Parker poems

I do not know if I would write hymns of hate like Dorothy Parker because biting humor only makes me angry and jaded, but I could write numerous hymns of irritation.

Summary -Parker

Every loves the love before
In a duller dress
That's the measure of my lore
Here's my bitterness
Would I knew a little more
Or very much less

Ballade of Great Weariness -Parker
Scratch a lover and find a foe

Let the past DIE.

Fear and civility

Its is so strange. We believe in Ellen White, and it has become a part of our heritage since we joined the church by profession of faith. Once we accept the church we accept this as our background. The same thing with Christianity. It is a call to those who share beliefs and want to have a common spirit.

The church is able to maintain its standards without force because it requires committment beforehand.

It is funny that the same thing has not been done with Western Civ, which has now become a bit if a religion. There is no call to like-minded individuals. They do not wish to acknowledge that others can share this heritage (after all they themselves had to learn it from someone) because of so many reasons, fear, fear of superiority, fear of the entropy of civilization. Especially when so many things are normally taught by correction, and can continue to be taught by correction.