It has been a while since my last update, I have been looking forward to the change of pace brought about by Thanksgiving. I also needed a break from school so I'm enjoying it. I'm not as prepared for the last three weeks as I would like to be, but I have gotten some of the extras off my plate.

I'm considering posting a link to my new testament thoughts, it will be a .pdf file and very long. I can do this to get my thoughts out to the public, although I would be kidding myself to think I am widely read. Then in the blog I would concentrate on certain issues that come up in life. Most recently with the political season healthcare has been on my mind with the offshoots of abortion and socialized medicine. I'm still thinking about it though. Posting it all at once will not make me as likely to review it after some months and tweak, I think that is a definite positive.

One interesting thing happened recently, I vocalized some positive and specific things I wanted to happen, and I vocalized some things that should happen that maybe I didn't have the best attitude about. It was amazing the insights that I got and how things subsequently happened. I need to keep doing that. I also struggled in the areas where my attitude wasn't as it should be, there was definitely temptation.

I post two chapters tonight Luke 7 after reviewing it and 2 Cor 5. I think 2 Cor 5 is especially good, the thoughts came to me as I was writing and I look forward to reviewing it in the future.

The picture is a view from my trail, the shadow is a cliff called the NC wall (I would say its a shear cliff over 100' (30 m) tall- maybe twice that). Rock climbers like it, although I haven't seen any on it. I'm getting closer to the bottom of my trail, but a great deal of work remains.


Luke 7 A couple of interesting thoughts come out of Luke 7. First is the centurion's slave. We don't know much about this servant other than he was well liked by his master (so he must have been a good slave), and he was near death. So here is a good person in bondage near death and hopefully relief from suffering in this world and Jesus heals him (meaning more servitude) for the sake of another good man. The slave's lengthened life of servitude was a blessing to his master. So we should consider that our suffering and servitude could be a blessing to others.
Next story is parallel. The widow's son (Nain) who had died, and possibly gone to his reward (although we don't know) being called back from death as a blessing to his mother. We are definitely not our own, we are His and sometimes our continuing inconvenience or bondage is used to bless others.
Now the Pharisee story at the end of the chapter. Jesus was invited and went to the home of Simon the Pharisee. Simon did not offer to wash Jesus' feet, kiss Him for a greeting, or annoint His head with oil. That may have taken some sacrifice on Simon's part, that he evidently was not willing to make. The woman on the other hand a known sinner was at Simon's house. How did she know where it was? How did she get in? Did Simon know of her reputation through rumor, or experience? The woman made those sacrifices to make Jesus feel welcomed, comfortable, etc. She did it out of her gratefulness. Are we grateful enough to God to make personal sacrifices to serve others at the expense of our own comfort? To tie it to the last chapter are we additionally willing to make those sacrifices for others who seemingly don't care about them? That is how Jesus wants to live through us.

1 Cor 5 This chapter talks about open and acknowledged sin in the church that is being accepted. A man is sleeping with his father's wife and the church is being accepting of it. On one hand we are all sinners and have transgressed God's law to the same degree as this man, on the other hand we have to be careful what we acknowledge and accept from others. If we accept open sin then in a sense we are condoning it, and even though we should want all people in fellowship with Christ, there are times when we should avoid fellowship with people. Paul gives us a list and a test as to who we can fellowship with. Anyone that calls himself a brother who is sexually immoral, greedy, an idolater, a slanderer, a drunkard, or a swindler don't fellowship or even eat with that person. I think the establishment of the sin is important namely two or three witnesses -it in the old testament, and also the person proclaiming his knowledge of God. When I read that list certain ones are harder to read than others, to divulge which ones I find easy or feel like I don't have an issue with is an opportunity to express pride so I decline. I do feel like a lot of people find it easy to slander people (myself included). Maybe think their decisions aren't very smart and share that with others - that is very close to slander, so brother Christian we won't be having fellowship with you. We need to be sincere and truthful and yes its easy to be sincere (of your own opinion) and truthful (in how you see things) but slander other people all the same.

Paul's solution to lack of fellowship deserves some thought- hand the man over to satan so that the sinful nature may be destroyed, but the spirit saved. If we don't fellowship with someone they will look for fellowship elsewhere (maybe even a more accepting church or congregation, there are those bodies of people out there who like the Corinthians may be accepting of certain sinful behaviors). Anyway the person will contnue to sin eventually seeing its futility and unsatisfying results, then will want to come back (truly repent and turn from their way). At that point fellowship needs to be restored even if it is years away. It would also be wrong to hold a grudge or to ask people "do you know what this person did for years?" hoping to get to tell the story. Churches I have seen have a long way to go.

Paul says we are to judge within the church, and act. Same sin outside the church by a non-believer we are not to judge. We must show all people the love of Christ both the believer and non believer. We show the openly sinning believer the love of Christ by letting them choose the sin or Christian fellowship, too often we as humans tend to write these people off, but we should pray and hold onto hope. We show the non-believer the love of Christ by introducing him to Christian fellowship. With the goal of a saving knowledge of Christ coming into his heart. Once he knows Christ he may turn from his sins, he may not, he may consider church a social club, in which case we need to carefully and continually keep showing him the love of Christ possibly by ending fellowship.