MY LIFE IN INK --

Happy Leap Year! You won't see a February 29 for four more years. So enjoy this extra special bonus day that the calendar is bringing you today.

In the meantime, Mother Nature is continuing with her mood swings today. We ought to be okay here, though. It was a "balmy" 34 degrees at sun-up. That is a great predictor that we're going up to the high 40s, say Quint. My bet is on 52 degrees, so we shall see. He always wins because when he gets to 48 degrees, he'll quit counting.

I heard from Mr. Oldenbird early last night. I was in the office downstairs and I heard him serenading me. Dusk was too deep to see anything, though. I know he was perched on his favorite branch, though. If I were to stay out there and let my eyes get adjusted to the cold night darkness, I'd be able to see him. Listening to him is okay. Besides, it's warmer in here.

Today is the day I make strawberry jam. I really prefer to use the frozen strawberries. They're flash frozen with nary a blemish. I just hate it when I see a moldy strawberry in the little plastic cages after I bring them home. I stand there in the produce department and turn those little cages every which way and select the one that I think is going to give me good fruit. Not always. But when I get the frozen fruit, every piece is always perfect. They're frozen practically immediately after they're picked.

And I promised Quint I'd make him a chocolate meringue pie (sugar free, of course). I put vanilla extract in it and by the time I get through with the pudding part of the pie, it tastes like fudge.

And bread. We ran out of bread again. So that will be an all-day project. Not that it takes a lot of work on my part. How hard is it to mix the yeast into 1/3 cup of hot water and let it "proof?" Or to mix up the flour and baking powder and salt. Or to mix up a cup of hot water and whisk four eggs into it.

Actually the electric mixer does the work. I use the dough hooks and get everything all mixed together and let the dough hooks do their little dancing thing in the big mixer bowl. Cha cha cha.

Then it rises -- all by itself -- for at least two hours. That's the very least minimum. If I have time, I let it rise three or four hours. While it's doing that I'm off doing something else. So it's not like making bread is all that labor intensive.

When it blows up into this beautiful, white voluptuous balloon, then I punch it down. Take that!

Out onto the floured rolling out spot on the kitchen counter. Some of the dough will go into a loaf pan for sliced bread. Some of it will go into little 1 cup Pyrex baking dishes for buns, and depending on what I have planned for the table, I might make monkey bread or dinner rolls.

Then that dough rises for another two hours before it gets popped into a hot oven to bake for about 15 minutes or so.

So you see, it doesn't take much doing on my part. But every time I pass through the kitchen on my way downstairs to the office, or back upstairs to knit a few rows in whatever distraction I'm working on at the time, I peek at the dough. Got to see what they're doing under their little blanket.

I finished knitting another table runner so I've turned my attention to 9-1/2" squares. At first they were for the kitchen. Then Quint decided he liked them for the bathroom. Doesn't matter. I just like making them.

I have also been busy flipping through my copy of Emma.If I remember correctly, that's the Masterpiece Classic of Jane Austen's that will be aired this Sunday evening. I can read any of them on bibliomania.com for free.

And by rolling the little wheel on the mouse while holding the control key down on the computer, I can make the type bigger if I want.

Don't you just love this age we live in?

And my dear friend Antoinette has received her memoirs from the publisher. She's entitled the book Second Mom. They're selling like hotcakes. What a wonderful tribute to a wonderful lady! She deserves all her successes, believe me. I'm so proud of her.

##

BIBLE STUDY: Romans 10:1-21

Before I begin today's Bible Study, I would just like to say again that I hope each one of you is able to share a Bible Study in your home church with your pastor or someone who has been trained as a Bible scholar. It is so helpful to study the Bible with someone who can read the Hebrew and Greek texts. I cannot. I rely on my Concordia Study Bible with its excellent footnotes. It is written solely in English.

But for those of you who are Christian and in parts of the world where you are not even near a church, I pray that God will bless us as we make our progress through the Bible one chapter at a time. I thank you for joining me.

---

Paul again brings the concept of justification to the surface in this chapter.

Justification is the major fault line of the Christian's faith. Sin made all man dirty. Sin aroused God's wrath. But how can man get back into God's good graces? That's the question Paul addresses in this chapter.

Justification is God's solution to sin. Through Christ righteousness came into the world, bringing justification to all who believe that he died for their sins.

Keep in mind that Paul was, first of all, a Jew. He had been trained by the best teacher in his time -- Gamaliel. Paul was a pharisee. And you can believe that Paul was certainly familiar with the writings of Moses and Isaiah as well as the other prophets from the Old Testament.

Remember that Paul did not have the "New Testament" available. That would be mainly because the New Testament was a work in progress at the time Paul was alive. Paul writings comprise the bulk of the New Testament. So, within that context, Paul did have his own writings to refer back to -- if he kept copies.

Paul is still trying hard, in this chapter, to get the Jewish people to realize that even though they are zealous for what they believe in, the information they are basing their beliefs on is just plain old wrong.

How in the world was he ever going to convince all those Jewish scholars of that? It was a challenge for us. Because Paul was a Jew himself, he understood all too well that they were holding steadfast the information they had been given in their scholarly training. They weren't going to change their mind all that easily, and for sure, not just because Paul said so.

So Paul prays for them. Paul seems to have come up against a brick wall, so to speak. So what does he do? He does what we all should do when we are confronted by matters of faith -- either our own, or with other people who just can't see the glory of righteousness -- he went to God in prayer for help.

Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for the Israelite is that they may be saved. For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge (verses 1 and 2).

Paul knew about the Israelites. He knew they were sincere in holding onto their beliefs. He knew that their beliefs were traced all the way back to the Law of Moses. This new idea of righteousness was not something they would embrace lightly. Paul knew this and he patiently implored them in every way that he could think of.

He even used himself as an example when he said, "I can testify about them that they are zealous" in verse 2. Paul knew only too well about zealousness. He himself had been there.

He was carrying execution warrants on his person at the time of his conversion. The warrants gave him the legal right to kill any Christian he came across. But Paul's conversion came about at the hands of none other than Jesus Christ himself.

Paul now confronted Jews who were at least as zealous as he had been before his conversion, but Paul was not Jesus Christ. He was not going to go around blinding all the Jews who differed with him.

But Paul did have the counsel of the Holy Spirit who guided him through the mazes of thinking that the Jews held onto.

Paul is saying that they are holding onto a belief that does not include God's righteousness. God's righteousness is a gift of grace. The Jews are of the thought that they can earn righteousness by being good, by obeying the commandments, by making their sacrifices at the altar -- just like they were told to do all the way back to Leviticus.

Paul makes a reference to Moses in verse 5: Moses describes in this way the righteousness that is by the law: "The man who does these things will live by them."

You shall therefore keep my statutes and my rules; if a person does them, he shall live by them: I am the Lord. Leviticus 18:5 ESV

But Paul continues in verse 6: But the righteousness that is by faith says: "Do not say in your heart, "Who will ascend into heaven?" (that is, to bring Christ down) or "who will descend into the deep?" (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).
 
This righteousness that Paul is talking about is the gift of God's grace. They don't have to perform any super-human feats to earn God's grace because it is a gift. It is not a payment for something they do. They don't have to figure out, somehow, how to make Christ come down from heaven to give it to them because they are so good. They don't have to try to figure out how they can get Christ to come up out of death again because they have been able to refrain from transgressions.

No no no. God's righteousness is a gift of grace.

It's not the same kind of righteousness that Moses was talking about when he told the children of Israel that living by the statutes would bring them life.

In verse 8, Paul again quotes the Old Testament writers when he pulls Deuteronomy 30:14 to them: But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it. These are the very words that Paul quotes in Romans 9:8: But what does it say? "The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,"

that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: (in verse 9) That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Paul wants the Jews to believe that Christ is that word. To receive God's righteousness, all that is required is to believe that Christ is the Messiah that the prophets had talked about.

Christ came to die for our sins. Christ rose from the dead and with that great miracle, he seal forgiveness for all who believe. All we have to do is confess that we believe.

Then we are saved.

We have Christ in us.

We have God's righteousness.

Paul seals this message most clearly in verse 12-13: For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile -- the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

Then Paul, in his perfect rhetorical form, poses the Jewish problem to them in verses 14-15: How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"

But wait! Paul is standing there, right in front of them. It's like "what do you mean no one ever told you?" Listen to me! I'm telling you.

I bring you the message. I'm telling you what to believe! You can't say you've never heard what you should believe in. And I can preach to you because I am an apostle who is called by Jesus Christ himself.

Then he reaches back to the words of Isaiah 52:7a for this message: How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news,

and the rest of this verse from Isaiah is: who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, "Your God reigns."
(my emphasis added)

But even back in Isaiah's time, did the Jews back then believe? Paul says no (verse 16).

Then comes this pearl of theological wisdom from Paul in verse 17: Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. Paul, in this verse, is publishing salvation!

Paul quotes Isaiah 65:1 -- I was ready to be sought by those who did not ask for me; I was ready to be found by those who did not seek me. I said, "Here am I, here am I," to a nation that was not called by my name.

And there you have it. If the Gentiles heard the word and called on God by name, and they supposedly were intellectually inferior by the Jews' standards, how come they got it, and the Jews didn't?

The answer concern the Israelites is quoted from Isaiah 65:2 -- I spread out my hands all the day to a rebellious people, who walk in a way that is not good, following their own devices.

And their own "devices" are an insistence that their view of righteousness -- that is, their good works -- will keep them in rebellion and walking down a path that is not good.

Discussion:

Think about ideas and opinions you have held onto that were really difficult to change.

I see people struggling with cognitive distortions all the time in my counseling practice. And then, there's a peace that literally writes itself on their face when a distortion gets set aside.

It's not that I'm any kind of an evangelist, but I can just imagine what Paul was hoping to see when he was talking to the Jewish people -- when those "aha moments" happen to a person, there is such a peaceful countenance.

Can you imagine what is happening within a person's heart to bring that kind of peace to the surface?

We have one more chapter in Paul's Letter to the Romans that focuses on this theme with the Jewish people. I'm going to bring that to you tomorrow, even though it will be a Saturday and I don't usually write a daily entry on weekends.

We pray: Dear Heavenly Father -- I thank you that I live in a country where I can give full expression to my faith. I pray that you will guard and keep all those in other places in the world where it is dangerous to talk about Christ out in the open. Keep them in the palm of your hand and put a hedge around their faith, Oh Lord. Amen.

##

MY LIFE IN INK --

I've been so busy in the aftermath of my sister's death that I almost missed the headlines announcing the passing of one of my favorite writers: William Frank Buckley.

Buckley died at the age of 82 years. He follows his beloved wife, Patricia, who died last year at the age of 80, I think.

Buckley founded National Review in 1955, so that must have been where we met. After the first column I read, I was hooked for life. And years later, when I watched him on Firing Line, I was even more amazed. Mostly because there seemed to be sound coming from his direction. He must have been the one talking because the cameras were turned on him. But his mouth didn't seem to be moving. It was like, "Who said that?"

When he was pleased, he could smile out loud all right, and the words just seemed to escape out of his mouth, rather than being propelled. Doesn't matter because there were more than four million words that managed to escape his brain, trickle all the way down to his fingers, and run out on the keyboard of his faithful old typewriter.

I'm not sure about this, but I wouldn't be surprised to learn that he was still using an old manual typewriter at his death. And he was found in his study, probably working on another column at his last moment of life. I, for one, would have preferred to have many, many more years squeezed out of that brain of his which has been described as erudite.

So, can you define erudite without looking it up first? I couldn't. Even in his obituaries, I'm still reaching for the dictionary just like I did when I read is columns when I was just a kid. (Erudite means "scholarly" or "learned.") Someone who knows a lot of stuff is erudite.

I grew up in a very poor family. My mother was a single mom who raised us in what was then described as a "broken home."

I can tell you that we did not have money for the likes of National Review, but I was working in the public library in Paducah at the time -- in the childrens department in the basement. When the childrens department closed at 6 pm, I'd haul my chubby little self upstairs to the adult department where I had my favorite spot in the corner of a huge table in the corner of the reference department where I worked on my homework. If I got done before the adult department closed at 9 pm, I'd go looking for interesting things to read. That's when I met Mr. Buckley.

I saved up and bought my first dictionary because of him. In those days, I couldn't get through a single column without looking up a half dozen words. In 1955, I was twelve years old. I fell in love with the way he put words together. He wasn't anything like the so-called loud conservative columnists these days who are little more than egotistical blabbermouths who speak loud and say little. Except for George Will. He's always a good read too.

He is known for being a fan of Johann Sebastian Bach. He is known for his abilities as a pianist. And I've read that he also played the harpsichord.

Buckley had a great influence on me as I was growing up in a family without heroes. One of my brothers had already hit the slippery slope of legal ne'er-do-wellism. 

I think, in looking back, that the library afforded me a quiet sanctuary where I could grow thoughts. I admired the succinct, critical thinking from this erudite writer without even knowing exactly what it was that drew me to his writing. But I figured I'd be okay if I got to be a tenth as good, no -- make that a hundredth --  as Buckley was.

I'll probably go dig up copies of his novels about a CIA character/agent at our library. Who else would name a CIA agent Blackford Oakes.

That sounds so "Jane Austenish," doesn't it? I mean, it's right up there with Fiztwilliam Darby from Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Probably some little vignettes in there from the time he was a deep, undercover CIA agent. For real. That was before he became a writer.

##

BIBLE STUDY: Romans 9:19-33

When I was sitting in church last night -- midweek Lenten service, you know -- the thought came to me about how to differentiate sin and transgression.

Sin is how we are; transgression is what we do.

In the beginning, God made Adam and Eve pure and without the blemish of sin. It wasn't until Satan tricked them into eating the apple that they became sullied, fouled by the ugliness of sin that they didn't have a prayer as to how to overcome. And no matter how many baths or showers they took, they could never wash sin off of themselves. Sin came into their lives and permeated their beings. Jesus Christ came into the world, died for our sins and rose from the dead. This was God's great sacrifice and it washed each one of us clean from sin. Now we are forgiven people, washed clean from the sin that once sullied us.

Transgression, on the other hand, is what we do each and every time we break any of God's commandments. Transgressions are what we do.

--

As we continue our study of this 9th Chapter of Paul's Letter to the Romans, we see him still trying to get the Jews to accept that the Gentile Christians are also the children of God because of their faith in Christ.

Paul makes references back to Old Testament texts in response to the question in verse 19: They why does God still blame us? For who resists his will? NIV

I have a cross reference to Job 10:9 -- Remember that you have made me like clay; and will you return me to the dust? ESV

Another reference to Isaiah 64:8 -- But now, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand. ESV

And still another in Daniel 4:35 -- all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, "What have you done?" ESV

In Job 9:12, the comment is made that he snatches away and who can say to God, "what are you doing?" ESV

Now comes Paul who tells the Jews in Rome that they had better be careful if they start excluding the very people that God has created. Oh sure, the Israelites were the chosen people, but they weren't the only people who received the blessing of God's forgiveness of sins.

Paul says in verses 22-24: What if God, choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath -- prepared for destruction?

What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory --

even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?

Paul quotes Hosea to the Jews who were present, in verse 25: I will call them "my people" who are not my people; and I will call her "my loved one" who is not my loved one.

This is a quote from Hosea 1:10: Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or numbered. And in the place where it was said to them, "You are not my people," it shall be said to them, "Children of the living God." ESV

Paul continues in verse 26: It will happen that in the very place where it was said to them, "You are not my people," they will be called "sons of the living God."

In a verse from Isaiah 10, Paul quotes: For though your people Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will return. Destruction is decreed, overflowing with righteousness (verse 22). ESV

This is a reminder that God is the Almighty one who decides everything about restoration and forgiveness and salvation. It isn't for the Jews to make a claim that the Gentiles are not worthy to receive God's forgiveness and the gift of salvation.

And just as the Almighty God had punished the errant children of Israel, and later restored them, he can bring about a spiritual restoration to all sinners, for the Lord God has made us all.

Coming full circle into the logic of his mental pursuit with the Jewish people in Rome, Paul then asks the Jews, What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it. Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works (verses 30-32a). NIV

Paul is still trying to get the Jews to understand that righteousness comes by faith, not by earning it from good works.

In fact, this whole notion that they could earn righteousness by good works was a "stumbling stone" mentioned in verse 32b.

This reference to the stumbling stone goes all the way back to Isaiah, who quoted God in 28:16 -- therefore thus says the Lord God, "Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion, a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation: 'Whoever believes will not be in haste.'" ESV

This notion that the Jews held that they could earn their way into righteousness by way of good works was the stumbling stone.

Righteousness is a gracious gift from God is the the precious cornerstone -- it is the sure foundation of -- the cornerstorne of faith that is everything we believe is true.

Discussion:

Think about what stumbling stones, if any, you may have as a hindrance to your faith.

Do you accept the idea that you receive grace even though we are all unworthy of such a gift from God?

We pray: Oh Spirit of the Living God, I thank you for your Word which gives me strength each day. I pray for all those people around the world who hunger for you and search for you and yet are unable to enjoy the precious resources that worship can bring to them if they could only gather with other believers in an assembly of faith.

I pray that you would continue to watch over the missionaries who often put their lives on the line to bring faith practices to believers. I pray that you would keep them all safe as they grow your kingdom here on earth. Amen.

##

MY LIFE IN INK --

Who in the world would intentionally bring a baby Burmese python into the house as a pet?!!

Listen up, folks. Pythons do not make good pets. In fact, if you have any warm-blooded pets (like a cat or a dog), the python will eat them.

They are cold-blooded. They are wild. They cannot be trained. They don't have a central nervous system that is big enough to have room for affection.

And when those beady little eyes in their bone head are looking at you, they are measuring you up to figure out if they can fit your body into their mouth.

Now we apparently have an infestation of these ugly reptiles going on in Florida. They've even moved into Arkansas and are headed north. Fortunately, they don't winter over, so I think we're safe here in Illinois.

Besides, we already have leftover pythons from people who bought "Ball Pythons." Now that the ball pythons are getting big, people don't know what to do with them. People need to understand that a four footer can kill you.

I shudder when I see the foolishness of a python draped around someone's shoulder. These are very naive people who have no idea how quick a snake can move into squoosh position. And you just try to turn back that primeval force if the python starts to wrap itself around your neck.

Snakes are not smart. They are not cunning. They operate on one premise and one premise only: me hungry, me eat.

But enough about snakes. Now, how about politics? Are we finally done with all the debates? I shouldn't complain, though. We quit watching the debates when the politicians started going onto the talk shows and comedy shows. They actually believe they're entertaining us.

Not me. I, for one, do not believe that they will fulfill one single campaign promise. In the first place, they do not have the constitutional authority to deliver practically anything they're promising.

And if they think congress is going to cooperate with them, they're in for a really big surprise. Congress is about as self-serving as the candidates are. Mainly because all of the presidential candidates, except for one, are congressionals themselves.

They couldn't even get a budget passed before the deadline. Among other things. So how do they expect me to believe they can get anything done if they perchance got elected?

And besides, they're supposed to be in Washington when the senate is in session. Who told them they could take days off to campaign for president -- like, for a whole year?

How's that for ethics? If that were your employee, wouldn't you make the employee take a leave without pay?

But wait, they are our employees. These are senators that make more than $150,000 a year from taxpayers they are supposed to be representing.

Oh well. I guess I'm just too simple minded to get my little pinhead around such a big idea.

##

BIBLE STUDY: Romans 9:1-18

Paul has finished his theme of how we can be reconciled with God at the end of Chapter 8. He has told the Romans about righteousness and explained the difference between sin and transgression. And finally, Paul tells us -- and the Romans back then -- that this righteousness as it is lived out by faith in God -- is shared with us by the Holy Spirit.

It is manifested in the gift of Jesus Christ and because we do nothing to earn this salvation that we all share in Christ's death and resurrection, it is a gift of grace. Through this very act of love from our gracious Heavenly Father, we are no longer slaves to sin. Sin has no power over us anymore.

And all the while, the Holy Spirit is working in the background, bringing us to faith. Paul has much to say about the Holy Spirit in this letter to the Romans.

Read the verses carefully, for the presence of the Holy Spirit is richly peppered throughout Paul's writing in this letter to the Romans.

The Holy Spirit is God's Spirit. The Holy Spirit was the power who raised Jesus Christ from the grave (Romans 8:11). It is this Holy Spirit who lives in the hearts of all who believe in Christ. It is this same power of the Holy Spirit that brings us to a close, reconciled relationship with God the Father -- so much so that we can say "Abba, Father" (verse 8:15).

This is an interesting reference for "Abba" itself is an address for "Father." Except, that is, for the level of intimacy that Abba suggests. "Abba" has a warm tone to it. It's the difference in calling someone "Daddy" versus "Father."

A small child uses the term "Abba" for daddy and "Imma" for mummy. The Holy Spirit brings us a "sonship" with God and by him [the Holy Spirit] we have testimony that we are, in fact, God's children (verse 8:16).

So now Paul is ready to open a new theme in this Letter to the Romans. That theme has to do with the Israelite question and how the Jewish people can relate to the Gentile Christians who were also living in Rome. The development of this train of thought will continue through chapter 11.

This Jewish/Gentile question continues out of Paul's ministry to the Corinthians even. Paul wants the Jewish people in Rome to understand that it is God who decides matters of individual salvation. The Gentiles are not to be treated as outcasts, just people out there looking in on the Jews while wishing that they could have a part of this glorious ancestry that the Jews had. Oh no -- Paul wanted to make it crystal clear that God is Lord of all. Everybody. Jews. Gentiles.

Even after the Jews were dispersed throughout the world, and there was only a remnant left, it was this very remnant that brought the ancestry to Christ in a bloodline that went directly back to Abraham.

Well, if that was the family tree, so to speak, Paul wanted the Jews in Rome to realize that God, through the Holy Spirit, had taken the Gentile Christians and grafted them onto that tree of salvation too.

Paul reminds the Jews that, ultimately, they rejected Christ.

So Paul says, in verses 1-5: I speak the truth in Christ -- I am not lying, my conscience confirms it in the Holy Spirit -- I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race, the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is trace the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen.

Paul was, in fact, a Jew. He was also Greek. Who better to unify these two groups together in a common faith?

Paul spends some time in this chapter following the roots of the Jewish ancestry to Christ. He talks about the children of Rebekah -- Jacob and Esau. In verse 13, he writes: Just as it is written: Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.

Paul was drawing a reference here to the nation Israel (Jacob) over the nation Edom (Esau). The parallel is that Jacob was the chosen bunch of Israelites while the Edomites were the rejected ones.

Well, then, does that mean God is unjust (verse 14)?

Of course not. A previous choice had been dealt with too -- that of Isaac and Ishmael. Now comes Paul's reference to Jacob and Esau.

And so, in verse 15b, we read: I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.

So it does not depend on whether a person obeys the law down to the very last letter. That does not cure you from your sinful nature. And God, for whatever reason he chooses, gifts mercy as it pleases him.

Even Pharaoh had received gifts of power from God, for we read in verse 17: For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.

So God is saying that he made Pharaoh a mighty king. And God had a plan. The Israelites who were slaves probably wouldn't have been nearly as impressed with what God was about to do to deliver them from Egypt if 1) the Pharaoh was a little weakling of a despot, or 2) if Pharaoh had not backed out of his commitment to let the Israelites go free.

No no. God made Pharaoh into a mighty powerhouse. And when God defeated Pharaoh, the Children of Israel would then be more apt to recognize God as truly, out of this world powerful!

You bet they packed up and got ready to leave with Moses. Moses was travelling with God and they wanted to be a part of that. They didn't have the slightest idea of the wonders they were about to be a part of, but their faith was great.

And they moved out!

Discussion:

Think for a moment, if you will, if you were in Paul's shoes, how in the world would you try to get the Jews and the Gentiles together as one cohesive group of Christians?

This has always amazed me and the more I study Paul, the more awesome he appears.

You've heard the saying, "God does not call the equipped. God equips the called."

How did God equip Paul to take on the task of ministering to these people in faraway places? Keep in mind that Paul had not yet met the Romans.

What do you think of the tone of Paul's Letter to the Romans? Would you take as strong a tone with people you'd never met?

We pray: Oh Spirit of the Living God, I pray that you would help me cultivate a faith that is strong, like Paul's.

I pray that you would use me and the talents you have given me to further your kingdom in any way that would serve you best.

And at this time, I also pray that you would bless the travels of my sister's daughters back to their homes in distant places. Amen.

##

MY LIFE IN INK --

Remember when the weather service wanted big buckets of money so that they could make more better predictions?

Well, what happened?!! Weather predictors still cannot make any "for certain" prognostications for, say, where a tornado is going to strike. They can't explain why one house is reduced to splinters while the house across the street doesn't even have a shingle out of place. They are getting better at alerting people that a storm is coming when it's traveling at 60 mph in a northeasterly path.

It would seem to me that a 6th grade Earth Science student could do that, given a little radar kit to use.

Oh well.

It never did get up to the high 40s yesterday, but it's not a big deal for us. We just snuggled in and kept the doors shut tight. But I do feel a great deal of sympathy for the folks up north. They're really having a time of it and now it looks like they're going to run out of salt to treat the streets. Chicago, not known for neighborly generosity of any kind, now says it probably won't have enough salt to get it through the winter season so the neighboring suburbs are on their own. The salt that they once sold for $25 a ton is now going for $60 to $80 -- that is, if they'll sell it at all.

See, they believed all that global warming malarkey. The city bureaus -- and it's not just Chicago that's running low on salt -- bought into Al Gore's global warming theories? He, who invented to Internet, couldn't possibly be wrong! Could he?

Well, in the first place, Al Gore has invented nothing. The Internet was developed for military purposes. As far as global warming is concerned, it would be better if it were viewed as climate cycling.He'd have known that if he'd ever read any history books. But if he'd done that, he probably would have claimed to have invented the ice age that was responsible for dinosauracide a few years ago.

So here's my theory: solar activity is diminishing right now as we speak. We are going to go into a cool-down cycle. Nothing deadly, just the other end of the warming cycle that occurred when there was more solar activity.

It will happen just about in time for Al Gore to try to take credit for the cooling because of the successful effectiveness of his yelling and screaming about man-made causes of big weather warming cycles.

He who apparently thinks he's bigger than God himself must be having hissy fits in his palatial mansion down there in Tennessee. No doubt he's marching up and down the hallways of the manse muttering things like, "This can't be happening. Not yet. I haven't had time to write another mocudrama yet."

It's time for each one of us to come back to the humbling thought that God is the person who created everything. And what was God's recipe? A simple handful of dirt. Actually he had to first make the dirt -- so he really started out with absolutely nothing. Zero!

That's my story and I'm sticking with it.

##

BIBLE STUDY: Romans 8:18-39

Paul makes a curious comment in verse 18: I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. NIV

My study Bible has a cross reference to 2 Corinthians 4:17 -- For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us and eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison. NIV

And also 1 Peter 1:6 -- In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials. NIV

And in 1 Peter 5:10 -- And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen and establish you. NIV

Keep in mind, though, that Bible scholars place the writing of 1 Peter in the early 60s while Paul's Letter to the Romans has been placed as 57 A.D. I mention this because the cross references to these quotes from Peter's book could suggest that there was persecution and afflictions that had started to either threaten the disciples and early Christians, or had, in fact, begun.

Paul is not quoting Peter, but Peter could have been referring to the same kinds of afflictions as Paul had spoken of three years before Peter's book was written. And they both had said that whatever suffering they had to endure was nothing compared to what Christ had suffered.

Recall that when given a choice at his execution, Peter did not even want to be crucified "right side up" as Christ had been. Rather, Peter chose to be crucified upside down.

There is a great promise in verse 19 of this chapter: The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed.NIV

The "creation" -- all of creation -- everything on earth -- waits for the sons of God to be revealed. But wait -- aren't all Christians "sons of God?"

I think there's an underlying message here and that message has to do with the fact that only God knows what is in the heart of man. Like the thief on the cross next to Jesus who would most likely have been written off as a ne'er do well, we do not know all of the people who could be revealed as the sons of God.

For instance, there are people who are very proud of their piety. So much that they have made their piousness an idol. That's how wonderful they think their piety is. They may only act righteous. But remember, righteousness is a step closer toward grace. God is the granter of grace. It is not for the pious and righteous to try to grab the rewards out of God's hands.

And how about the converse of that? There are people -- we all know a few -- who don't look like they even care about who God is, much less live a life that God would be pleased with. And yet, they, like the thief on the cross might be more humble than their pious counterparts. They might talk to God at length from the hushed darkness of their bed just before they drift off to sleep at night.

You and I do not know who all the sons of God are because they haven't all been revealed yet. No doubt, there will be many surprised for us. People we'd least expect to be welcomed into God's kingdom may just go marching right past us. So we need to be careful if we think we've got that all figured out.

In verse 22, Paul continues with his reminder that as Christ's followers, we have been given the firstfruits of the Spirit. This gift of these firstfruits are merely the beginning of our new relationship with God. It's a portent of what is to come -- and that is the resurrection from the dead. Those days are yet to come when Christ comes back for us -- he will raise us up from our earthly graves to join him in heaven.

So the gifts of the Spirit are the beginning of our journey toward being with Christ in heaven for all eternity.

I must say that re-reading this chapter has given me much comfort in light of the recent death of my beloved Sister Dear. I know that her suffering through the cancer that racked her body and compromised her physicalness are now over for she has gone to a more glorious place. It is only her physical body that is in the grave -- not her soul. Her beautiful soul has gone to be with our Lord Jesus Christ.

And I have a hope that one day I will see her again in heaven as we worship and praise our Lord.  

Paul says in verses 24-25: For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

And just exactly how do we keep this hope alive in our hearts?

Well, the Holy Spirit has made available to us several opportunities to get to know our faith better -- to grow our faith into the strongest part of our being -- and the Holy Spirit does this through prayer. And sometimes we don't even know what to pray for. That's when the Holy Spirit intercedes for us. Listen to what verses 26-27 says: In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.

If this is the first time you are reading these verses, write them down and carry them around in your pocket until they have been engraved onto the inside of your head.

Think about it -- the Holy Spirit and our Heavenly Father are so close that they don't even need to talk to one another and the Father still knows every single thought that the Holy Spirit thinks.

Of course, our Heavenly Father knows what our thoughts are too, but there are those other times when we can't figure out exactly what it is that we want to ask him about. Those are the times when the Holy Spirit steps in, so to speak, and puts our thoughts out there before God himself.

Don't ever think that you're all alone in your suffering. You have the Holy Spirit with you even when you can't think of what you should be thinking about. He knows and he shares all things with God our Heavenly Father.

So if someone has stolen your peace of mind, for instance, and you don't want to pray about something you consider trivial, don't worry about it. The Holy Spirit will take your unspoken, uncongealed prayer concern right to God himself.

If you are unable to pray for someone you think has wronged you horribly, the Holy Spirit knows about that anguish you are suffering. He will take your pain to God for you.

If you are unable to forgive someone who, in your humanness think doesn't deserve your forgiveness, the Holy Spirit will help you out with that one too. At some point, though, you're going to have to decide that it's time to forgive and that's when the Holy Spirit comes running across the field toward you, ready to lift your prayer of forgiveness to heaven when the time comes that you've readied your heart to do that. The Holy Spirit will help you with getting ready. It's certainly not an easy thing to do and there are many times when we just can't do it by ourselves. The Spirit of God is only too willing to help you -- just ask.

But what you don't want to do is let an unforgiving heart get between you and God. That is not the path to righteousness, dear ones.

Before I get into verses 28-30, I have to share with you some cross references.

The first is Ezra 8:22 -- For I was ashamed to ask the king for a band of soldiers and horsemen to protect us against the enemy on our way, since we had told the king, "The hand of our God is for good on all who seek him, and the power of his wrath is against all who forsake him. ESV

And in 2 Chronicles 15:22 -- ...the Lord is with you while you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you. ESV

So now we come to this powerful message in verses 28-30: And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. NIV

I caution you not to go off on a side tangent at this point. These passages are not paving the way to a philosophy of reincarnation and predestination at all. Rather, look closely to the messages throughout all these passages that what God wants most of all is to welcome us back to him.

For sure, he has called us. He has things that he wants each one of us to do. He has bestowed on us gifts of the Holy Spirit. Whether we ever use them or not in the course of our lifetime, the gifts are there. And he has given us free will to make choices throughout our lives.

Sometimes we make choices that we ought not to. In those instances, I get a visual of God sitting on his judgment throne, looking down at us silly people here on earth, saying "I wish you hadn't done that."

But his purpose for us has always been, first and foremost, to bring us back to him.

That's why he sent his son to die for our sins. That's why he gave us the laws by way of the Ten Commandments. These commandments allow us to see what we've done wrong.

Think about it -- if we have never had the Ten Commandments, we would be just sinners. We would never know for sure how to get right with God.

Do you think for one minute that you could ever tell the difference between sin and transgression? At least with the Ten Commandments you can figure out what your transgressions are. Sins are something we need help from the Holy Spirit, God, and Jesus Christ to help us sort out.

In these verses, God is saying he wants us. He picked us out. He selected us. We belong to God. Through his grace, and his grace alone, we are able to get back to God in all the full glory of what it means to be justified.

And it's more than sending his son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins. Oh no. More than that. Christ rose from the dead. Christ is alive again and sitting at the right hand of his God, our Heavenly Father in heaven.

And who could possibly bring a charge against us -- the evil whisperer -- the father of lies? Read in verses 33-34 what Paul says about this: Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died -- more than that, who was raised to life -- is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. NIV

So we also have Jesus Christ interceding for us, in addition to the Holy Spirit.

I'll tell you, folks, with both these powerful entities of the Triune God interceding for us, begging our case before God Himself, who in the world could possibly intentionally do anything but the right thing?

Why would anyone want to break any of the commandments?

It isn't like we're little kids again and we get away with things because our parents can't be everywhere and they can't see everything, so sometimes, something gets missed.

But not so with God. Here is the person who sees around corners, through concrete walls, and into our hearts. Don't mess with him. He knows!

It's just a good thing that he did get us all cleaned up from the ugliness of sin that we were wrapped up in.

It's just a good thing that he loves us that much.

It's just a good thing that nothing can separate us from the love of God.

Discussion:

If you are unable to forgive anyone for anything, repeat this prayer a dozen times a day: "Please help me forgive. Please come into my heart and cleanse me from everything that gets in between me and your love." When you do that, believe me, the Holy Spirit will hear you and will come to you.

I mention forgiveness because it seems to be the one thing that keeps people hanging by a thread -- it's one of Satan's most effective devices to keep us from enjoying a really close relationship with God our Heavenly Father.

And yet, we know from so many Bible readings that God has told us, again and again, that he will forgive us just as we forgive others. So forgiveness is a big item in God's messages to us.

We pray: Oh Heavenly Father, I thank you for the many gifts you have given me.

I thank you for calling me to be yours. I thank you for sending your son to die for my sins. I thank you for giving me the strength to make better choices as I go along through life -- better choices than I used to make. Thank you for helping me grow and develop in your love and strength. Amen.

##

MY LIFE IN INK --

And here we are, coming to you from Owlspotting Paradise. Mr. William Albert Oldenbird, the great feathered DC-10 that Quint named after his maternal grandfather, has moved to a limb near my kitchen window. He perched himself on a branch where he could look down from his spy place limb and watch what's going on in the Food Lab.

Or maybe he thinks he's going to get one of the deer that has marked a path between the house and the carport. Anyway, Mr. Oldenbird watched for a while, then got bored with me I guess, and poof -- he spread out his huge magnificent wings and flew away -- all the way to the back of the yard where he sits in the pine tree.

Things are back to normal around here. The garbage peeps were here bright and early. We got e-mails from the Virginia branch of the Stubbe tree last night. They made it back home too. And they had to drive across all that treacherous stuff through Indiana and Ohio. (I do not like pink snow.)

And the Chicago branch of the Stubbes are doing fine too. Mark -- you hang in there and continue with your physical therapy. It's doing wonders for you and you'll be up running around in no time. Bet you never thought you'd look forward to Corinne's list of things for you to do, did you?

And oh the delicious yummy ending of Pride and Prejudice last night! Jane Austen's ladies always get their men. Austen really weaves a good story around the gentried life in jolly old England.

Today I'm going to Bibliomania and re-read all of Pride and Prejudice. Emma will be next Sunday's segment of Masterpiece Classic. I like that story too, although the intrigues surrounding the love life of Elizabeth Bennett and Fitzwilliam Darby are wonderful. It's enough to stir the romantic part of my nature and take me to another galaxy far far away. And commercial free at that.

This afternoon will be filled with writing thank you notes to so many people who have been supportive and sent condolences. As for Cookie, she's probably up there watching a ball game or something with her husband John, who predeceased her by a bit more than a year. Then they'll probably go over to mom's for dinner and sit around on the porch swing sipping iced tea. And since they're in heaven, they don't have to worry about whether the weather is going to be nice. It always is up there.

We're going to get up to the high 40s late this afternoon, Quint says. Time to get the lawn mower out and run it through the car wash and give it a wax job. Well, maybe not. But I can think about it. I am going to go outside and count the tulips that are peeping through the dirt.

##

WITH AGE COMES WISDOM -- from Alice Stubbe

A guy is 80 years old and loves to fish and play golf.

He was sitting in his boat the other day when he heard a voice say, "Pick me up."

He looked around and couldn't see anyone. He thought he was dreaming when he heard the voice say again, "Pick me up." He looked in the water and there, floating on the top, was a frog.

The man asked, "Are you talking to me?"

The frog said, "Yes, I'm talking to you. Pick me up. Then kiss me and I'll turn into the most beautiful woman you have ever seen. I'll make sure that all your friends are envious and jealous because I will be your bride!"

The man looked at the frog for a short time, reached over, picked up the frog and put it in his front breast pocket.

Then the frog said, "What, are you nuts? Didn't you hear what I said? I said kiss me and I will be your beautiful bride."

The man opened his pocket, looked at the frog and said, "Nah, at my age, I'd rather have a talking frog."

##


HUMOR FOR LEXOPHILES (LOVERS OF WORDS) -- from Rickey Roux

I wondered why the baseball was getting bigger. Then it hit me.

Police were called to a day care center where a three year old was resisting a rest.

Did you hear about the guy whose whole left side was cut off? He's all right now.

The roundest knight at King Arthur's round table was Sir Cumference.

The butcher backed up into the meat grinder and got a little behind in his work.

To write with a broken pencil is pointless. 

When fish are in schools, they sometimes take debate.

The short fortune teller who escaped from prison was a small medium at large.

A thief who stole a calendar got twelve months.

A thief fell and broken his leg in wet cement. He became a hardened criminal.

When the smog lifts in Los Angles, U.C.L.A.

The dead batteries were given out free of charge.

A dentist and a manicurist fought tooth and nail.

A bicycle can's stand alone -- it is two tired.

A will is a dead giveaway.

Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana.

A backward poet write inverse.

In a democracy, it's your vote that counts; in feudalism, it's your count that votes.

A chicken crossing the road: poultry in motion.

Show me a piano falling down a mine shaft adn I'll show you A-flat minor.

If you don't pay your exorcist you can get repossessed.

The guy who fell onto an upholstery machine was fully recovered.

A grenade fell onto a kitchen floor in France, resulting in Linoleum Blownapart.

You are stuck with your debt if you can't budge it.

A boiled egg is hard to beat.

He had a photographic memory which was never developed.

When you've seen one shopping center, you've seen a mall.

When she saw her first strands of gray hair, she thought she'd dye.

Bakers trade bread recipes on a knead to know basis.

Santa's helpers are subordinate clauses.

Accupuncture: a jab well done.

##


GOD IS LIKE -- from Antoinette Oberheu

God is like BAYER ASPIRIN -- he works miracles.

God is like a FORD -- he's got a better idea.

God is like COKE -- he's the real thing.

God is like HALLMARK CARDS -- he cares enough to send the very best.

God is like TIDE -- he gets the stains out that others leave behind.

God is like GENERAL ELECTRIC -- he brings good things to life.

God is like SEARS -- he has everything.

God is like ALKA-SELTZER -- try him, you'll like him.

God is like SCOTCH TAPE -- you can't see him, but you know he's there.

God is like DELTA -- he's ready when you are.

God is like ALLSTATES -- you're in good hands with him.

God is like VO-5 HAIR SPRAY -- he holds you through all kinds of weather.

God is like DIAL SOAP -- aren't you glad you have him? Don't you wish everybody did?

God is like the US POST OFFICE -- Neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet nor ice will keep him from his appointed destination.

##

PEACE IN YOUR SOUL -- from Mark Stubbe

May today there be peace within. May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith. May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content knowing that you are a child of God. Let his presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us.

##


BIBLE STUDY: Romans 8:1-17 (continuing with Chapter 8 tomorrow)

From the first verse of this chapter, Paul reiterates the powerful message that there is no condemnation for people who are in Christ, for they walk after the Spirit, not after the flesh. (KJV)

Remember that the very word "condemnation" brings us to a realization that because of the law, we recognize where we have gone wrong -- where we have walked about satisfying the languishing hollering of our sinful nature.

Paul uses the word law in verse 2 when he says, For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. (KJV)

There are several different ways that the word "law" can be used and Paul uses more than one definition as we go through this Letter to the Romans. In this particular instance, the "law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus" means the rule that sets us an expectation. It's like the law of physics that says when you throw a ball up in the air, the rule is that it will come down again.

It is so when we say the law of the Spirit of life in Christ also controls us in our daily lives. There is an expectation that is set up by this law of the Spirit that says when we walk with Christ Jesus, we will come under the control of the Spirit -- that is, we will not die an eternal death, for the Spirit is life giving.

The law, that is the Old Testament Law that was handed down to Moses by God, could certainly not free us from sin. All the law can do is help us recognize our transgressions. The law is powerless to free us from the hold of sin and death.

The law is important to us though. It provides a set of rules that help us develop a sense of morality. When we can recognize our transgression and keep our life on track so that we are not giving in to all the temptations that pop up in front of us all the time, then we can live according to the Spirit. But life saver? No.

Verses 6-8 tell us: For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

The NIV says that the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. (verses 7-8)

But wait -- there's hope.

This hope is wrapped around the Spirit of God (verse 9). If you don't have the Spirit of God in your life, then none of this applies to you. But if you do, and it's a very big "if" -- then you have the Spirit of Christ and even though your body is going to die, your soul will not because your spirit is alive because the Spirit of God has brought you to righteousness.

I realize that this all may sound like the "chicken or the egg" type of question that philosophers like to pose to us. But make no mistake about it -- this is not an intellectual intrigue.

It goes like this:

Man brought sin into the world (neither Adam nor Eve resisted Satan in Eden).
God brought the law into the world (to Moses, written in stone)
The law opens our eyes to where we have gone wrong, where we transgress.
Knowing that we transgress brings us to guilty feelings.
The Spirit of God brings us to righteousness if we commit our life to God after our guilt leads us to trying to live a right kind of life.
Even though we become righteous through the Holy Spirit, we are still sinners.
God sent his son, Jesus Christ, to free us from the death caused by sin. Christ died for our sins and rose from the dead.

So, in verse 10, we read: And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. (KJV)

Or, as the NIV puts it: But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness.

It is this same Spirit of God who raised Jesus from the dead. If this Spirit is living inside us then we will be raised from our earthly death just as Christ was (verse 11).

We no longer have to fear death because our mortality is a mere backdrop on the stage of life against which we see the transition of our travels to heaven's other shores. It is when we make that crossing that we are able to join ourselves with God again. And because of Christ, our soul will be blemish-free once again.

Having said of that, then we ought to look at the obligations that this brings to us. These are powerful duties that we now have to live a life that is pleasing to God. If we let the Holy Spirit take up residence within us, then we are better able to resist the shenanigans that sin tries to pull us toward.

This is how we get to be children of God (verse 14).

And because we are God's children, we are guaranteed an inheritance because we are joint heirs with Christ because we suffer death with him, and we also then share the glory of his resurrection.

Discussion:

One of my most challenging thoughts in Bible Study is to realize that I can become righteous if I try to live a life as close to sin-free as I can, but righteousness is not being free of sin.

It reminds me of a youngster who was brought to me by his mother after he had taken her ATM card and helped himself to $200 from her checking account. She didn't know exactly what would be an appropriate discipline since he'd be an old man before he got through his punishment of grounding.

Taking a note from my mother who had written in my personal history book, I asked him which commandment he had broken.

This lad had no idea what the commandments were.

"Well then, dust off your little heart," I said. "You are about to find out."

Fortunately he knew that there was a Bible and he also knew that the Bible was a holy book and that it was God's Word, so we didn't have to go all the way back to the very beginning.

Well, he'd heard that someone once said "Thou shalt not steal." He just didn't know it was one of the Ten Commandments. Okay, that's the 7th Commandment.

And how about disobeying your parents? There's the 4th Commandment.

And let's see -- you wanted a new skateboard because your friends have them. Isn't that kind of like coveting? There's the 10th Commandment.

And then there's this idea that you love this skateboard more than just about anything in your life. Isn't that kind of like idolatry? There's the 1st Commandment.

And when your mom and dad asked about where you got the skateboard, you lied and said someone "gave" it to you. That was a lie, wasn't it? There's the 8th Commandment.

So you see, you've broken 5 of the 10 Commandments. And that was before you know there were even ten of them!

Then he was curious. Like all kids his age. What were the other five commandments? Oh man! That was an opportunity I could only pray for. I introduced him to Exodus 20 at that point.

His next question was just as easy to answer. I told him he'd have to write the 7th Commandment for me.

"How many times?" he asked.

"Well, how many dollars did you take?"

The long and short of it was that he remembered that lesson. And so did I. When I was growing up, I never tried to break the commandments but there were plenty of times that I made choices I'd rather not have made.

I still get a Christmas card from this young man. He has never forgotten how he learned the Ten Commandments. He has since married and has children of his own. I'll just bet his children know what the Ten Commandments are too. I do know they are all going to Sunday School, so I'll just bet they've heard of the Ten Commandments, and yes, he gave me permission to share his story with you as long as I don't tell you his name.

Think back to a time when you broke one of the commandments. Did it lead you to other transgressions? You seldom break just one commandment at a time.

We pray:

Dear Heavenly Father: I thank you for sending your Spirit to guide me through every day of my life. And even though the Holy Spirit can help me grow in righteousness, I know now that I am still a sinner. And because you have sent your son, Jesus Christ, to die for my sins and rose again, I can share in his resurrection and life eternal. I thank you for that from the bottom of my heart. Amen.

##

MY LIFE IN INK --

We have returned safely to our home. We came back late last night. We had planned on returning today but both Quint and I thought better of extending our stay another day up north. Despite what the weather channel was telling us, it looked like all that rotation around the middle of the country was going to dump more snow on the interstate that we needed to be on to get home.

Well, guess what? It started snowing not too long after we arrived back home. And it kept on snowing through the night. It's more than a dusting laying out there on the yard.

We were surprised to see lots of little hoof marks in the back yard, and on the side, and right by the back door. Now, I'm not a naturalist or a wild animal expert but the prints look a lot like some deer came knocking on the door. The little hoofy things were a giveaway and then there was the round thing that Quint says was a footpad. The first time we saw the deer -- there are about five of them -- Quint went out right away and bought a salt lick for their dining pleasure.

So okay. If there are deer out there snooping around for deer chow, can big cats be far away? Or medium sized cougars? That means I will not be going all the way to the back of the property along about dusk. That is, when the weather gets better. It's too cold now anyway.

It makes me think about the time when Cookie and I went with Daddy to run his trot lines along the Red River in southern Arkansas. We must have either been too rambunctious or too noisy at home or too naughty because Cookie and I were "jailed" in the back seat of the car.

Our "little brother" A.W. was snoozing in the front seat and I'm guessing that this was the time when mother was pregnant with the yet-to-be-born brother James and needed a reprieve.

Cookie and I had a reputation of supporting each others antics even back then. What one of us didn't think of, the other one did, so in that respect, we made a good team. Our parents didn't have a chance. We used to crawl under the house to our "secret spot" and have meetings. That is, until one day we saw a big humongous King Snake cuddled up in the corner giving himself a hug. We got out of there and never went back. Besides, there were many other places that we could find where we could have our little whisper sessions.

Our eyes got as big as saucers when Daddy told us to keep the windows rolled up because there were panthers out there in the bayous. His parting shot when he faded into the dark of night was that we'd recognize the panther scream because it would sound just like a woman screaming. We stayed in the car!

I'd much rather stay inside and knit. Although I did get a counted cross stitch kit when we went to Michaels while we were up north. The kit is actually the picture of a cat taking a nap on a sewing table. It's a jigsaw puzzle that we put together years ago. The puzzle was fun to do and I'm guessing that the embroidery kit will be also. There's lots of little things to embroider like spools of threads, a sewing machine, open drawers with pretty ribbons cascading out of them. Instead of framing it, I'll make use it for a pillow front.

But for now, I have to tend to the bread that's rising nicely. It's sitting there in the kitchen yelling at me because it's almost risen up to the top of the bowl.

And I'm making a butternut squash/cranberry dish for dinner. I like to boil the whole butternut squash for about ten minutes. It softens the hard-as-a-rock squash so I don't have to worry about wounding myself cutting the thing open.

When it's cut open, take all the seeds out of the middle part, then peel the squash and cut into little 1/2 inch cubes. I have fresh cranberries in the refrigerator so I'll mix some of those in with the squash, then fry them for a bit. Maybe add a couple of tablespoons of "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" (for flavor) to the fried medley when it's done. Then season with salt and pepper and I'll have a fantastic side dish.

And Quint is begging for scones so I'm going to have to try to find a good recipe for that. Not all recipes "transfer" to sugar free all that well, so I'll have to read a bunch of recipes to see if I can figure out which one would get to live in my recipe box.

In closing, thank you again to all of you for your loving messages of support and comfort. I'm thinking of putting a lot of my thoughts down in a kind of little diary called Hello, Sister Dear. That was how Cookie started out her conversations with me. Sometimes it means that she and I would have to have a "discussion." Although we never had a fight in all our 60+ years, we did have disagreements that we quickly got resolved. Mainly because we loved each other all the way down to our toenails and we vowed very early in our lives that we would never let anything interfere with our love for each other.

Not even the time she talked me into riding our bicycles from home in Paducah up to Kentucky Lake. It was only about 15 miles away but it was up and down a lot of hills. Thought I was going to die! We didn't get very far. Certainly not all the way to the lake. So we decided to give it up and rode into someone's driveway and called her boyfriend. When he came to get us, we were sitting underneath a big shade tree sipping iced tea with our new favorite hostess.  He threw out bikes in the back of his truck and took us back to Paducah. We didn't try that trick again, believe me. There were too many dogs running wild out in the country and the highway was a two-lane thing that gave us no room to ride on. The experience gave us a good laugh for many years to come.

##

MY LIFE IN INK --

My sister's wake is on Friday from 2 to 9 pm. She will enjoy the flowers that are being sent. Cookie loved flowers.

We planted Lily of the Valley alongside her house last summer on one of our visits to see her. It was one of her favorite flowers. Then we brought some Tiger Lilies. They were her favorite.

Truth is, there were no flowers that were not her favorites. If it bloomed, it was one of Cookie's favorites.

This summer I will plant a rose in my rose garden that's right outside the back door at the house. I'll find one of her favorite roses. Maybe a yellow rose for the friendship we celebrated throughout our 65+ years together. In all those years, Cookie and I never had an argument, although we did reconcile more than one disagreement.

She was my big sister and I knew I was in for it when she'd call and say, "Sister Dear, I want to talk to you about something."

"Oh no," I'd think. "What did I do now?" But it was never anything serious and it was never anything that would disrupt our sisterly love for each other.

Cookie's rose can nestle in with sixteen other beauties that I planted last year. Or maybe she'd rather be nearer the Red Bud tree that I planted in memory of Mom last summer.

The Red Bud was one of mother's favorite. There's a town in southern Illinois named after this beautiful tree. We used to drive over there from Paducah early in the spring when the Red Bud were still laced out in their lavender finery and before the foliage had all turned to green.

I will celebrate having a wonderful sister for all the rest of my days. Another dear one has moved on to heaven, and I'll miss her tremendously.

Stop by to see me sometime, Sister Dear. Just give me a nudge and I'll know it's you. I'll miss you -- no more phone calls. You won't be calling and telling Quint that you need a "sister fix." But I know you'll be around. Do something to arouse the poet in my soul. I'll watch for you in the summer breezes.

##

BIBLE STUDY: Romans 7:1-25

In looking at the very first verse of this chapter, I draw a parallel to my own career as a mental health counselor: Do you not know, brothers -- for I am speaking to men who know the law -- that the law has authority over a man only as long as he lives?

I draw that parallel because, strictly speaking, rules of confidentiality end at death. That's why it's not all that unusual to hear people talking about deceased individuals with impunity -- even psychiatrists or attorneys. I guess the idea is that dead people don't have to worry about such things any longer.

But at some point in my ethical reckoning, I still believe it is wrong and have promised all clients that their confidences will remain safe with me, even past the grave. That's ethics, not forensics. To be sure, I have only used anecdotal information in disguise and only with specific permission if it would be helpful to another client or, when I was teaching psychology at the colleges, a particular instance would be enlightening.

But Paul points out, in the very first verse of this chapter, that the authority of the law ended when a person died.

Well, of course. That makes sense. After a person dies, man's law goes by the wayside pretty quickly. I mean, if people think they've gotten away from anything because they've somehow sidestepped the strong arm of the law, just wait until God gets ahold of them.

God sees everybody. God watches all people from wherever he is sitting. God keeps track. God is the one you ought to worry about if you're out there breaking laws.

Paul then uses an example of marriage and how a woman is bound to stay married as long as her husband is living. When she becomes a widow, though, she is free to marry someone else.

So the purpose of the law, remember, is to define what our transgressions are. Paul says in verses 4-5: So, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Jesus Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised frm the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God.

For when we were controlled by the sinful nature, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in our bodies, so that we bore fruit for death.

Ah, yes, our old sinful nature is still churning away inside us. It's human nature to want what we're not supposed to have. Satan beckons us down that slipper slope.

But Paul is saying that our old sinful nature does not have to lead to the eternal death of our soul because we have been re-born in Jesus Christ.

Whatever it was that was leading us into sin was then -- not now. Through Jesus Christ, we have a new opportunity to latch onto something so meaningful that heaven and earth moves us toward salvation. And you can bet that angels are dancing on the streets of heaven bringing glory to God, who must be just about tickled to the heights of heaven!

Then Paul once again tries to make a distinction between sin and transgression. It's an important difference because man became sinner when Adam faltered in the Garden of Eden.

Sinful man continued to move through the generations afterwards. Then Moses was given the laws first hand from God above.

Make no mistake about it -- that was another cosmic clock moment for man on earth because now sinful man became a transgressing man.

Paul explains it this way: Is the law sin? Certainly not!

Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, "Do not covet." (verse 7)

This difference between sin and transgression gets lost, sometimes, in the translation.

When we hear that we are sinners even if we don't know we are sinning, we may be tempted to say, "Huh? How can that be?"

That's because we tend to think of sin and transgression as one and the same thing. But they are not.

That is why it is important for us to pray for forgiveness of all our sins, even the ones we don't know about, because we are born into sin and we live in sin no matter how hard we try to obey the law. The truth is, we could probably do a pretty good job of living out our days on earth without flagrantly breaking the ten commandments. But even so, it does not mean we are sin-free.

Paul does an incredible job of explaining this in verses 14-17: We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin.

I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.

And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good.

As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me.

This last sentence ought not to be a kind of "nail of convenience" that sinners hang their hats on just because they're sinners. We still have to take responsibility for our sins and living in our sinful nature.

And Paul isn't saying that man is not good, just that man has to recognize his sinful nature, repent and claim the salvation that is gifted all mankind because God sent his son, Jesus Christ to die to all of man's sins. All mankind. All sins.

We can never be free of sin, but we might get pretty close to transgression-free.

Here's how Paul sums it up in verses 21-24: So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me.

For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.

What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?

Uh, over here, Mr. Tarsus. I have my hand up, sir. Over here: Who else but none other than Jesus Christ our Lord! (verse 25a).

So man and his laws do not bring us freedom from sin or freedom from transgression.

Whatever freedom we enjoy on earth and in heaven comes about only because of God's grace and the bounty he bestows upon us through the death and resurrection of his son, Jesus Christ.

Discussion:

I don't think we ever have to worry about the Apostle Paul putting lawyers out of business because there will always be transgressors.

How do you view the difference between ethics, the law, and morality? Perhaps you've never thought about the differences. If not, can you draw a line of distinction between sin and transgression?

Paul's Letter to the Romans is rich in this distinction but Paul wasn't just trying to "split hairs" when he made the distinction. Rather, he was trying to bring us to the knowledge the shame recognition comes about because of the law. Guilt comes about because we realize that we've done something to separate us from God and it's this very guilt that becomes the paving stone on the path toward righteousness, because it brings us to have the faith in God's promise of salvation.

We pray: Oh Lord, I would be lost forever to the slavery of sin if it were not for you and the salvation you promise me because I believe that your gift from your son's death and resurrection is for me too. I thank you, Lord, for this gift.

And I thank you for this gift for all my loved ones who are one step closer to eternity than I am. I pray that they have all gathered around you to tell you of the love they have for my dear sister, Cookie (Anna Mae), as she is welcomed into your presence.

And as Cookie leaves us this earth, those who are left behind become even more precious to me. I pray for their safety -- for my cousin Mark (and his wife Corinne)who recuperates from knee replacement -- for my cousin Al (and his wife Alice) who hopes for a window of opportunity to travel from Virginia to be a part of Cookie's service of victory over death.

I pray for Quint and his remaining sisters, Alice and Jeanine. I pray for our kiddos -- Vern, Sharon, Teri, and Dean -- and their spouses and children. I pray that you would bless them all and keep them in the safety of your care. Amen.

##

MY LIFE IN INK --

We didn't think Cookie would go so fast. We'd prayed that she would at least be with us to celebrate her birthday on March 22nd.

But it was not to be. She moved to the other side of heaven's shores yesterday afternoon at 3 p.m. And in her sleep at that. What a peaceful way to depart this earth.

Now she's with our mother, father, step-father, two brothers and a whole host of other loved ones who have predeceased her.

But hey, sister dear, I'm in no hurry so you're going to have to keep my seat warm for a long, long time, I pray. Quint and I still have things to do and places to go. Besides, my plan is to live to 135 years -- that would mean Quint and I would celebrate our 100th anniversary! What a hoot!

I told our daughter Sharon that yesterday and it cracked her up. That was when I called to tell her we'd like to move in for a couple of days since we no longer have the condo up north.

So I ask for your prayers for safe travels, for peace for Cookie's daughters and step-son. grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

##

BIBLE STUDY: Romans 6:1-23

This idea of justification that Paul was talking about apparently brought confusion with it.

Remember back in Chapter 5, Verse 20, Paul said, "The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more..."

So, the Romans wanted to know, what did Paul mean when he said that where sin increased, grace increased...

Would it be okay then to just go have a grand old time and not worry about how much sinning was going on because the more they sinned, the more there was to forgive and the more forgiveness they got, the more grace God bestowed?

Now I can just visualize Paul's reaction to this kind of thinking. Maybe something like, "Huh, are you kidding me?"

Paul, who tried so hard to bring a sound logic to his point of view, must have been flabbergasted to think that he could have seriously been misunderstood like this. And his "no way" response? Listen to what he says in verse 2: By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?

Paul continues to explain his point of view in verse 3 when he says that because we are baptized into Christ -- that is, Christians receive Christ's baptism which brings grace to sinners -- not John's baptism which did not bring grace.

John's baptism was a baptism into repentance for the remission of sins (Mark 1:1-4). Then John said, in verses 7-8: There cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose. I indeed have baptized you with water, but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost. KJV

Now Paul says that because we were baptized into Christ, we also are baptized into Christ's death. It is this very act of Christ's baptism that brings us to resurrection. Through this baptism, we receive the gift of the Holy Ghost from God, our Heavenly Father, and just as Christ rose from the dead, we are promised that we will also.
 
And because of this, we are freed from our slavery to sin.

The powerful point that Paul wants to make to the Romans is that when we are blessed with the Holy Spirit and the promise of also rising from the dead, we ought to want to live as Christ wants us to live. We aren't supposed to go around with this thought that we can sin all we want because all will be forgiven.

No, not at all. Rather, baptism frees us from our slavery to sin -- from our willful desire to sin to our heart's content. Because we have entered into this faithful new relationship with Christ, we will not want to sin. We're free from the hold that sin has on us.

Paul says in verse 10: The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.

That's the message. We live our lives faithful to God.

We want to cut those ties that sin grabs us with. We read more in verses 12-14: Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.

Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.

For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.

So we are to offer our bodies to God as instruments of righteousness. That means that we will do all that we can to be in a right relationship with God.

In verse 17, Paul offers this hope: But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.

To put in in human terms, as Paul says, when we are humanly weak because of our physically sinful selves, we give ourselves up to all sorts of impurities because we just don't care about being a slave to righteousness like we should. We continued to do the very things that brought about our death.

But then, after we have been set free from sin's mastery over us and after we give our lives and our bodies to righteousness, we become slaves to what leads to holiness.

Paul closes this chapter with the Bible verse that has been memorized by school children in parochial schools all across the land, and in Sunday schools and Vacation Bible Schools and catechism classes.

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.


Discussion:

What could a right relationship with God possibly mean to us as sinners?

Let's see - no adultery. No stealing. No killing, or beating each other up. The end of domestic violence -- that would be a good thing.

No coveting of what our neighbor has, secretly wishing we had their new car (or camel, if you lived back in the Old Testament).

Think of all the ways that we use our body to sin -- smoking, alcohol and drug abuse -- things that threaten to rip apart the cord that binds us to our Lord.

Do you think it would be fair to say something like anything that interferes with our treating our bodies like the temple of the Lord?

We pray: I thank you this morning for bringing me the peace of mind that comes in knowing that my sister has not died for she is with you now forever. It is only the outer shell of her body that has gone back to the inanimate dust that she came from. It was that outer shell that was racked by the pain of arthritis and then cancer. And now she is free and able to claim the everlasting life that you promised her as your child. Her soul lives free with you now. I thank you for that.

I pray that you will keep Quint and me safe in our travels to her funeral and our return back home.

But most of all, I thank you that you bring to me Christ's baptism that gifts me with the Holy Spirit.

I pray for my cousin Mark who, it turns out, is in rehabilitation, recuperating from knee surgery. I pray that you will send the healing power of the Divine Physician Jesus Christ, to heal Mark's body and make him whole again.

I pray for Dean and Diane for the powers of recuperation that only you can give to them. I pray that you would bless their lives with joy and newness that only you can bring. Amen.

##

MY LIFE IN INK --

Good morning to some of you, good evening to some, and g'day to the rest! It is a big, big world. Someone came on from Finland about 11 pm last night.

That was about the time that I was reading a chapter of Pride and Prejudice. I just could not bear the suspense any longer -- the not knowing how Austen was going to weave the rest of the romance around Lizzie and Darcy.

So now, just knowing what's going to happen will let me settle down and watch how it happens next Sunday evening.

And no, I do not call it cheating. I do the same thing with mystery novels. Makes perfectly good sense to me not to have to go through all that angst and suffering through the mysteries of "the weave."

And for all you avid readers out there, I am including a link -- just in case you don't have it -- for a site called Bibliomania. Lots of books that you can download free and read -- chapter by chapter!

Here it is: http://www.bibliomania.com/0/0/frameset.html

But then, you folks are pretty savvy, so you probably have this link anyway. If you don't have this site bookmarked already, now is the time. Lots and lots to read!

Can you believe it's only 12 degrees here in Illinois!? I'm glad I didn't jump the gun and take those ugly cones off my beautiful little roses when we had all that 50 and 60 degree sunshine days a week or so ago.

This must be winter's last blast. Surely, huh? Okay?

##

BIBLE STUDY: Romans 5:1-

Paul brings a new word -- a new concept -- to our study of our relationship with God.

That word is justification. He had mentioned it before in Romans 3:28: For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law.

So justification and righteousness are different.

It is the Apostle Paul who is credited with developing this concept of justification and putting a name to it. And it is in this fifth chapter of his Letter to the Romans that the divine authorship of his writings brings us to these new details.
 
The cosmic clock was striking the minute hand of destiny, someone once said. It was God the Father, who through Jesus Christ, was bringing the Holy Spirit to Paul in this divine authorship.

Look at how he beings this chapter in verses 1-2: Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.

We have been justified by faith!

We have peace with God -- that is, peace of mind.

We have gained access by faith into this grace.

So grace brings us into this right relationship with God (righteousness) only if we have faith that salvation is ours, became ours through Jesus Christ's death and resurrection.

At that very microscopic point of time, the heavens open to us and we are brought into communion with God, our Heavenly Father -- because we have faith in what Jesus Christ did for each and every one of us. And we only get to our Heavenly Father by coming to him through his son, Jesus Christ.

At that very moment when we accept this as an act of faith, our lives will be forever changed. We become heirs to the kingdom of God. We need only to believe, for in believing, we exercise an act of faith.

Through that act of faith, we then become justified.

It's so simple, and yet so enormously complicated at the same time. That's mainly because if you don't have faith, you just can't understand how all this could happen. Maybe if you read another book about faith, or watch another Christian video. Maybe -- maybe -- maybe -- it will all somehow miraculously sink in.

But that's not it. If this is what you're doing, you're making it too hard.

You have only to believe that Christ died for your sins and that he rose from the dead. If you truly believe that, then you have faith. If you aren't sure, then you don't believe. You've pushed faith away from yourself. And you are not righteous. And because you aren't righteous, you are not justified.

It comes back to faith. You either have it or you don't. It's the fulcrum that everything else rests upon.

Paul then talks about where suffering leads in verses 3-5: Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings,

because we know that suffering produces perseverance;

perseverance, character;

and character, hope.

And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

God's love takes up residence in our hearts, through the Holy Spirit. And because of this special relationship of love, God continues to live within us. We must never reject this love, for God is love. This love is the very essence of God himself. Nothing that you would ever ever want to cast aside for you would do so at your everlasting peril.

When Paul introduces justification, he does so by talking about both Adam and Jesus Christ.

Adam was the first man that God created. Adam brought sin into the world.

Jesus was the first and only son of God. Jesus brought salvation to the world.

Because of Adam, we were dead in our sin (verse 12b).

So you see, sin was in the world long before Moses brought the 10 Commandments down from Mt. Sinai. But by having the law, we become more aware of how we are sinning. Our sins now have names because of the law that Moses brought to us from God.

Then comes the Son of God. Through Jesus Christ, God brings grace to each of us. It is through this grace that God brings justification to us. Paul explains it in verse 17: For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.

Again, in verses 20-21, Paul reiterates the purpose of the law: The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

So we have the law to show us where redemption is needed.

Discussion:

We need to think of justification as a real act of God -- it's not some theoretical construct hanging out there in the wind for theologians to pick apart and show us how big their minds are.

Oh no. For sure, Jesus Christ died for our sins and he rose again from the dead.

Let all the theologians who care to, busy themselves with counting the number of angels dancing on a pin head.

I can read their mighty accounts of their great intellect right along with the best of them, but I don't need to.

All I need to know is that Jesus Christ died for my sins. All of my sins. Even the sins I don't know about because, like it or not, I was born into sin.

I thank God every day of my life that he has brought me to grace because I most certainly believe that one day when I die, I will cross over to heaven's shores and be with Jesus Christ and all the saints of heaven who worship and praise God every day.

When it comes to faith, I prefer the simple path to God. That path is through Jesus Christ.

During the quiet times when you're settling down after reading this study, think of how God has gifted your life with his grace.

We pray:

Dear Heavenly Father: I thank you for sending your son, Jesus Christ, to die for my sins.

I pray that you will send your Holy Spirit to all who are struggling with cementing their faith to you. Help them in their struggles find that tiniest of little openings into their heart so that you can bring the glorious light of salvation to fill the vast empty spaces within them.

I pray for my sister who is in the midst of her life and death struggles. She looks forward to being with all of you in heaven. I pray that you will receive her for her faith has never wavered from you.

I pray for safe travels for all who come from far away places to attend to her.

I thank you for giving Quint and me the opportunity to say goodbye to her when we were in the hospital. In your divine knowing, you always put us at the exact place where you want us to be at the right time. Thank you for that. Amen.

##

MY LIFE IN INK --

We are finally getting into that time of late winter when temperatures are staying in the thirty degree range. I'll take it and be thankful for it. My little daffodils are getting more and more nerve each day. They're about an inch tall now.

Oh, I have to tell you about the new neighbor whoooooo has moved into the evergreen tree in the back yard. (That was a clue.)

Anyway, he's about two feet tall and Anna, my neighbor to the south, tells me he has a huuuuuuge wingspan -- at least a yard wide. I haven't seen him on the wing yet. He just sits up there and watches me and sings his little one note samba when he feels like it.

But I haven't seen any mice so I'm guessing he's doing his job. He's be entirely welcome to take any and all snakes he might find in the yard too. I like owls. A lot.

We had one up north too. He lived in the big tree out in front of our condo. So now I hear the serenade during the night. No surprise I wake up wondering where I am.

The big project -- in between clients today -- is to go upstairs and work on the guest bedroom some more. There are still boxes up there that are unpacked. So after all this time, there couldnt' possibly be anything that we either need or want. Right?

Well, not necessarily. On one of my last forays, I found Josephus. Josephus was an early historian who compiled data for the Romans. It was a treasure find because every once in a while I want to know what Josephus had to say about some of the early apostles. Or the times he lived in.

I watched another segment of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice last night. PBS is presenting all of her work in a Masterpiece Classics series. Last night was the second evening of Pride and Prejudice and since each segment is two hours long, I was certain that Lizzie would land her the most delicious Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, played by Colin Firth. Well, sort of. The haughty naughty Mr. Darcy did confess his undying love for Elizabeth (he never calls her "Lizzie" -- too too common).

To which Lizzie said she can't imagine what circumstance there could possibly be that would even allow her to want to marry him. He was stunned! I mean, who does Lizzie think she is anyway. Here she was -- the second born of five daughters, without prospects (that's what they called eligible bachelors in those days) and here comes Darby, enormously wealthy with thousands of acres of land in, of all places, Pemberley. He even owns towns. All this give him a rather handsome income of 10,000 pounds a year. 

I mean, you know that Lizzie is going to somehow end up marrying Darby and live happily ever after. Jane Austen's heroines are given such successes by the stroke of Austen's pen. Just don't remember how she is going to weave the story. If I had a copy of the book, I'd read the end of it. Might just take a run up to the library today.

Nah -- that would spoil the suspense, wouldn't it?. Besides, I already read the plot line on Wikipedia.

##

BIBLE STUDY: Romans 4:1-25

Can you imagine a missionary -- any missionary -- going out into the world to convert people who faithfully and strongly believe something that was a whole lot different?

This is what my view of Paul is. He hadn't gone out into an evil religion that threw virgins down into a volcano on Saturday nights.

Not by a long shot. He went up against the faithful followers of Judaism. These are the very same people who had Moses, the granite scribe of the 10 Commandments, in their corner. These are the same people who thought they were being faithful to a covenant relationship with the one true God!

They even had Abraham, the righteous patriarch Abraham, father of us all. It says that in the Bible. Abraham was a righteous man. The Jews believed that with all their heart.

So here comes Paul's letter to the Romans. The first things Paul does in this chapter is go all the way back to Genesis 15:6 -- Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.

Abram believed the Lord. Believed what? Well, for starters, God told Abram that his descendants were going to be as numerous as the stars that were visible to the naked eye. But Abram was an old man -- too old to be having babies. Besides, his wife was way past the age where she could conceive. 

Doesn't matter. If God said so, then it was going to happen. Didn't matter that it would be a miracle. That was Abram's faith. It was something between him and God. Abram believed. God counted his faith as righteousness.

Faith requires an object. We have to have something to believe in to have faith. For Abram, that faith was a belief that God would do what he said he was going to do. That faith is what God counted. Abram's faith brought him to a righteous relationship with God. The object of faith is God. It must be so.

Righteous -- there's that word again. What exactly does righteousness mean? Clearly it doesn't mean perfect, or without sin. We're all sinners. Even Abram was a sinner.

Here comes my point. In Genesis 15:6 God said that Abram was a righteous man.

Earmark this verse as a kind of time reference.

Now we've talked about circumcision and how the Jews believed that the act of circumcision was what they thought was an act of faith in their covenant relationship with God. Circumcision was made them right with God, therefore righteous. And because of this covenant relationship, they were assured of paradise.

Well, Paul says, not so fast.

The requirement of circumcision didn't come about until Genesis 17:9-11 -- Then God said to Abraham, "As for you, you must keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you for the generations to come. This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised. You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you..."

The promise of this covenant relationship that came out of circumcision was after God had said Abram was righteous. So, circumcision does not make a person righteous.

Righteousness, then, is being in a right relationship with God -- righteousness is leading a life that is pleasing to God.

In Psalm 37:12-13, we learn that The wicked plot against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them; but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he knows their day is coming.

And in Psalm 37:16-17, Better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked; for the power of the wicked will be broken, but the Lord upholds the righteous.

But these quotes from the Psalms are for our edification and to help define righteousness. We don't know if Paul quoted this psalm to the Romans. He didn't in this letter to them.

There were two giant hurdles for Paul to help the Jews in Rome get beyond.

The first was their sincere belief that circumcision was their act of faith in the covenant relationship they believed they had with God.

And their belief that the Jewish people were the chosen people of God.

Paul was able to get them around the notion that circumcision brought them to righteousness by pointing out that God called Abram righteous in Genesis 15 before the requirement of circumcision was ordered by God in Genesis 17.

Okay. Got that. Now about the Gentiles. Again, back to Abram when God promised that his descendants would be all nations. That included the Gentiles. Very important point, because now the Jews and Gentiles could worship and believe together.

So Paul says in verses 9-12: Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised?

We have been saying that Abraham's faith was credited to him as righteousness. Under what circumstances was it credited?

Was it after he was circumcised, or before?

It was not after, but before!

And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised.

So then, he is the father of all who believe but have not beencircumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them.

And he is also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.

So it was not because of the law that Abraham and his descendants received God's promise of inheriting the world, but rather, it was through the righteousness that comes because of their faith. (verse 13)

Paul takes this point and goes further with it in verse 14: ...if those who live by law are heirs, faith has no value and the promise is worthless, because law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression.

Paul is telling them that the law defines what a transgression is. But if there is no law, then there is no transgression. But this doesn't mean that there is no sin if there is no law.

No no no. It's not that easy. We're still sinners. Without laws we may not be transgressors but we're still sinners.

Sin is what separates us from God. Faith is what gets us right with God.

Laws change as cultures change. For instance, in some states, it is a homicide if an unborn child dies when its mother is murdered. Not all states have that law, though. So you see, laws can even differ from one locale to another.

But sin? Sin is defined by God. It doesn't change from one culture to another, nor from one locale to another.

Paul makes another point to the Romans starting at verse 23, because Paul wants them, and us, to know the import of Christ coming to earth to die for our sins and to be delivered over to death for our sins, and raised to life for our justification (verse 25).

Think about this: The miracle of Abram fathering a child required monumental faith at his advanced age. Another birth was prophesied as we travel through the Old Testament. It promised another miraculous birth. This second birth would bring righteousness to all of us through faith in Jesus Christ's death for our sins and his resurrection from the dead.

Paul was calling on all believers then, and now, to get right with God. Paul was calling all believers to have faith in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Faith. That's how we get right with God. Faith is why God calls us righteous.

Discussion:

What strengths of Paul did God use to do missionary work?

This particular chapter, at least to me, seems very legalistic. And like a good attorney, Paul wants the Romans to really understand the importance of this word righteousness. It's peppered throughout the Old Testament hundreds of times. But how often do we read over it without really thinking about what it means.

Righteousness requires faith. What do you do in your life that shows others that your have faith in God?

I am reminded of a story of a missionary in India who was sent to grow new churches for the kingdom of God. He prayed and he prayed. At best, he was able to develop 25 new churches a year as he made his rounds through the countryside. But he wanted to bring more people to know Christ. So he asked his sending church back in the United States to get people to pray for his mission work every day. I don't know how many pray-ers he had, exactly, but it didn't take long before his new churches had grown to over a thousand.

Do you pray with others? Prayer is a powerful act of faith.

And you're stopping by this site to read God's word. If you do not have a good study Bible, I would encourage you to get into Google or your favorite search engine and and learn as much as you can as we go along here.

We pray:

Dear Heavenly Father, I pray that you would bless all who have come here today to learn more about you and your Word.

I pray that you would bless those who are ill at this time so that they will know the healing powers of your Son, the Divine Healer.

I thank you for sending your son to die for my sins. It was nothing I could do to deserve such a thing, but I will be forever grateful to know that redemption and salvation are mine because of your loving sacrifice.

I thank you for all your blessings and for showering this site with daily growth. I pray that you will continue to enlarge my territory and I thank you for pointing me in the right direction in my search for truth.

I pray that you would guide Dean and Diane in their struggles at this time. Bless them, and bless their work.

I pray for my sister, Cookie, who is standing on the threshold of joining you and all those she loves who have predeceased her. I pray for strength for her daughters, Karen, Robin and Cindy in the long tearful grief that awaits them.

I pray for Quint and thank you for the continued blessing of health for him, and for me as well. Thank you for the strength you give us to do your work at our age. Amen.

##

MY LIFE IN INK --

Gone are the days when we must "all take our turn" governing these United States -- according to the words of Thomas Jefferson, I believe.

But then, we've become too populated and there aren't enough places for us all to take turns. There are too many dynastic little political foothills that are only perceived as mountains. It's the polarity of points of view that make peaks seem loftier than they are.

We need to get back down here in the valleys where compromises are made and lived by. Mountain peaks are black and white pinnacles of power, but it's the gray world of valleys where real people live. Seems like all the politicians have forgotten that.

The mental health of our country depends on political gray. That's where reason is. In the gray valleys of civility.

Individuals who enjoy good mental health have coping skills that keep their rationale in the gray areas. We do not live in a black and white world of dichotomous thinking. Life is gray.

And that's what I'm thinking about this morning. How about you?

My prayers go out to the families of the students who are shot and killed by a senseless gunman former student Steven Kazmierczak this morning. The gunman shot and killed himself before the police even got on the scene just moments after he entered the lecture hall and started pulling the trigger.

Six dead and I believe 17 wounded. Some of the wounded are head injuries so let's pray that they survive.

What is wrong with people? I ask myself that all the time. Here are some headlines from this morning that are just bizarre:

Driver Abandons Bus Full of Ex-Prisoners on Highway (Fox News: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,330753,00.html) See -- it was quitting time and never mind that she was 60 miles short of reaching her goal of the bus terminal in Dallas.

New Orleans Mayor Takes Heat for Playing With Gun (Fox News: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,330722,00.html) But it was okay because it turns out that the incident happened at a public safety press conference and Nagin wasn't really pointing the gun at the policeman, it just looked that way.

Amish Ready to go to Jail Over Outhouse (CNN: http://www.wjactv.com/news/15305331/detail.html) Didn't know there were still outhouses anywhere in the United States. On people's estates, that is. I realize there are lots of porta potties at festivals and public parks. I'm not that disconnected.

Putin Says at a Minimum a Head of State Should Have a Head (Politico: http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0208/Putin_vs_Clinton.html) Putin was commenting about Hillary who had previously said that Putin didn't have a soul. Are we supposed to chalk that Hillary comment up to her vast foreign relations experience?

And on a good note: Figure Skating: Japan's Takahaski Wins Four Continent Crown (Breitbart: http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8UQQFF02&show_article=1&catnum=0) And just in case you want to see some super skating, check these programs out where Takahaski skates to the beautiful music of Rachmaninov:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICenVs9OGdI&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAVlUq_Oo9s&feature=related

I think it's time we pay more attention to people doing good things. I will warn you though that the commentaries are not sub-titled and I don't speak Japanese so I have no idea what they're saying. But it's easy to see when Takahaski hits the quads just from the roar of the crowd. Besides, his twirlies are higher and he stays in the air longer. My deduction is that they are quads!

Good job! What a skater.

##

WITH AGE COMES WISDOM -- from Alice Stubbe

A guy is 80 years old and loves to fish and play golf.

He was sitting in his boat the other day when he heard a voice say, "Pick me up."

He looked around and couldn't see anyone. He thought he was dreaming when he heart the voice say again, "Pick me up." He looked in the water and there, floating on top, was a frog.

The man asked, "Are you talking to me?"

The frog said, "Yes, I'm talking to you. Pick me up, then, kiss me and I'll turn into the most beautiful woman you have ever seen. I'll make sure that all your friends are envious and jealous because I will be your bride."

The man looked at the frog for a short time, reached over, picked it up carefully, and placed it in his front breast pocket.

Then the frog said, "What -- are you nuts? Didn't you hear what I said? I said kiss me and I will be your beautiful bride."

He opened his pocket, looked at the frog and said, "Nah, at my age, I'd rather have a talking frog."

##


TWO GREAT CHICAGO STORIES -- BOTH TRUE -- from Rickey Rous

Story Number One: Many years ago, Al Capone virtually owned Chicago. Capone wasn't famous for anything heroic. He was notorious for enmeshing the windy city in everything from bootlegged booze and prostitution to murder.

Capone had a lawyer nicknamed "Easy Eddie." He was his lawyer for a good reason. Eddie was very good! In fact, Eddie's skill at legal maneuvering kept Big Al out of jail for a long time.

To show his appreciation, Capone paid him very well. Not only was the money big, but also, Eddie got special dividends. For instance, he and his family occupied a fenced-in mansion with live-in help and all of the conveniences of the day. The estate was so large that it filled an entire Chicago City block.

Eddie lived the high life of the Chicago mob and gave little consideration to the atrocity that went on around him. Eddie did have one soft spot, however. He had a son whom he loved dearly. And, despite his involvement with organized crime, Eddie even tried to teach him right from wrong. Eddie wanted his son to be a better man than he was. Yet, with all his wealth and influence, there were two things he couldn't give his son: he couldn't pass on a good name or a good example.

One day, Easy Eddie reached a difficult decision. Easy Eddie wanted to rectify wrongs he had done. He decided he would go to the authorities and tell the truth about Al "Scarface" Capone, clean up his tarnished name, and offer his son some semblance of integrity. To do this, he would have to testify against the mob, and he knew that the cost would be great!

So, he testified. Within the year, Easy Eddie's life ended in a blaze of gunfire on a lonely Chicago street. But in his eyes, he had given his son the greatest gift he had to offer, at the greatest price he could ever pay. Police removed from his pockets a rosary, a crucifix, a religious medallion, and a poem clipped from a magazine:

The clock of life is wound but once,
And no man has the power
To tell just when the hands will stop
At late or early hour.
Now is the only time you own.
Live, love, toil with a will.
Place no faith in time
For the clock may soon be still.

Story Number Two: World War II produced many heroes. One such man was Lieutenant Commander Butch O'Hare. He was a fighter pilot assigned to the aircraft carrier Lexington in the South Pacific. One day his entire squadron was sent on a mission. After he was airborne, he looked at his fuel gage and realized that someone had forgotten to top off his fuel tank. He would not have enough fuel to complete his mission and get back to his ship. His flight leader told him to return to the carrier. Reluctantly, he dropped out of formation and headed back to the fleet.

As he was returning to the mother ship he saw something that turned his blood cold; a squadron of Japanese aircraft were speeding their way toward the American fleet. The American fighters were gone on a sortie, and the fleet was all but defenseless. He couldn't reach his squadron on and bring them back in time to save the fleet. Nor could he warn the fleet of the approaching danger.

There was only one thing to do. He must somehow divert them from the fleet. Laying aside all thoughts of personal safety, he dove into the formation of Japanese planes. Wing-mounted 50 calibers blazed as he charged in, attacking one surprised enemy plane and then another. Butch wove in and out of the now broken formation and fired at as many planes as possible until all his ammunition was finally spend. Undaunted, he continued the assault. He dove at the planes in hopes of damaging as many enemy planes as possible and rendering them unfit to fly.

Finally, the exasperated Japanese squadron took off in another direction. Deeply relieved, Butch and his battered fighter limped back to the carrier.

Upon arrival, he reported in and related the event surrounding his return. The film from the gun-camera mounted on his plane told the tale. It showed the extent of Butch's daring attempt to protect his fleet. He had, in fact, destroyed five enemy aircraft.

This took place on February 20, 1942, and for that action Butch became the Navy's first Ace of WWII and the first Naval Aviator to win the Congressional Medal of Honor.

A year later Butch was killed in aerial combat at the age of 29.

His home town would not allow the memory of this WWII hero to face, and today, O'Hare Airport in Chicago is named in tribute to the courage of this great man.

So, the next time you find yourself at O'Hare International Airport, give some thought to visiting Butch's memorial displaying his statue and his Medal of Honor. It's located between Terminals 1 and 2.

So what do these two stories have to do with each other? Butch O'Hare was "Easy Eddie's" son.

##

A WARM DOGGIE STORY -- from Kathy Brandenburg

An old, tired-looking dog wandered into the yard. I could tell from his collar and well-fed belly that he had a home.

He followed me into the house, down the hall, and fell asleep in a corner.

An hour later, he went to the door, and I let him out.

The next day he was back, resumed his position in the hall, and slept for an hour. This continued for several weeks.

Curious, I pinned a note to his collar. "Every afternoon your dog comes to my house for a nap."

The next day he arrived with a different note pinned to his collar. "He lives in a home with ten children. He's trying to catch up on his sleep. Can I come with him tomorrow?"

##



BIBLE STUDY: Romans 3:1-31

I can just see Paul sitting at a table with only the light from an oil lamp to light his writing. He starts out kind of lukewarm. It's an old, familiar position for him -- all this talk about circumcision. Then he starts to build toward a crescendo and the next thing you know, the chapter begins to read like a dash to the finish line at the end of the 31 verses. He makes his points. He weaves in and out of the rebuttals he perceives could be forthcoming. One by one, he neutralizes them all. And he leaves the Romans with one thought -- it is Paul's hallmark point -- it's grace from God. You can't earn your way into paradise. You just can't do it.

Ah, but the Jews keep hanging onto this notion that the circumcision is their guaranteed ticket that will get them into heaven.

The Jews still practiced circumcision -- but Paul is saying they do this for reasons other than an act of faith. Rather, as we read previously in this chapter, the Jews figured that if they continued to uphold the act of circumcision according to the old laws handed down to their ancestors, then God would see them as faithful followers. And because they were faithful followers, they would get their entry invitation into paradise.

Now, along comes Paul who is telling them that there's something more that they need to do. Circumcision is one thing. If they practice it with faith in their hearts, then they'll be okay. But if they practice it as a kind of "cost of admission," then they're not getting into heaven at all.

Paul brings a new meaning to the word "righteousness." And it's God who is able to make man righteous.

Now comes this concept of grace. It's a new word to expand the vocabulary of the Jewish people. Well, all people actually.

What Paul seems to be trying so hard to do here is integrate the Jewish people and the Gentiles into one believing group of faithful followers. But the first thing that the Jewish people have to do is reconcile this notion of theirs that circumcision makes them more better than the Gentiles. That's what their ancestors taught them and they believed that's what God expected of them. And if the Gentiles weren't circumcised, then they were somehow flawed only because -- or so it appeared to the Jews -- they had not or would not enter into the same covenant relationship with God that the Jews had done. And if they hadn't, then they couldn't have God's covenant or blessing.

It was a tremendous hurdle for Paul to get beyond. Fortunately for him, he had the guidance of the Holy Spirit who was putting the words in his mouth.

Paul says in verses 9-18: What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin. As it is written:

There is no one righteous, not even one;

There is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.

All have turned away, they have together become worthless;

there is no one who does good, not even one.

Their throats are open graves;

Their tongues practice deceit.

The poison of vipers is on their lips.

Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.

Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know.

There is no fear of God before their eyes.

So out of this rather long list of things gone wrong with sinful man, the last verse says they don't even fear God. That is, there is no reverence and it's this reverence of God that initiates man's godliness.

But in verse 19, Paul says the whole world is accountable to God. So if the whole world is accountable, Jews and Gentiles alike, how are the Gentiles going to be held accountable since they never had the Mosaic law to obey in the first place?

Read what Paul says in verse 20: Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.

Shame recognition. It's about shame recognition. How many times have I counseled children and had them discover that yes, indeed, they knew they had done something wrong at the point of shame recognition.

Children have to learn this; otherwise, it's just white stuff falling out of an overturned glass and cascading onto the floor below. They learn not to tip over the glass of milk -- not that it was purposeful misbehavior -- just something they ought not to be doing. Just hearing that "Oh, for crying out loud" from mom or dad, who had to clean up the mess is often enough for children to make sure it doesn't happen again.

Adam and Eve became aware of their nakedness -- shame recognition.

The law, says Paul, makes us conscious of our sin (verse 20b).

And here comes the gospel message, restated powerfully for the Romans, in verses 21-25: But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.

This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.

There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

The playing field just got leveled. The Jews go to worship on the Sabbath and they sit right next to Gentiles who are also worshiping with them. It's not going to be like it used to be when the Gentiles -- if they were allowed in the synagogue at all -- had to sit somewhere not close to the Jews. The Gentiles were pagans. Probably not even supposed to be in the synagogue.

Now, here comes this guy -- Paul -- who's telling the Jews that they're just like the Gentiles and it doesn't matter whether they're circumcised or not, because it's not like it used to be in the old days.

So this Jesus Christ had come down from heaven. He was the Son of God and he would die on the cross. No more would anyone on the face of the earth need to make a sacrificial atonement on the altar at the temple because Christ's blood was shed for the sins of every man, woman and child on the planet.

And the blood of Christ was shed for Jew and Gentile alike. We only have to believe in Jesus Christ who brought God's righteousness to us all. It justifies us -- all of us who have faith in Jesus Christ (verse 26).

So how do we get some of this faith? If that's all it takes is faith, where does it come?

Paul brings this promise from God in verse 30: [S]ince there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.

And here comes the big question at the end of this chapter: Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law (verse 31).

Discussion:

It seems to me that Paul was anticipating an accusation in this last sentence. That accusation could come from false apostles running around Rome telling the believers that Paul is telling them they didn't have to obey the law anymore.

In fact, a similar message had been misinterpreted in Corinth and it took some doing for Paul to get in there and explain what he meant.

As we get further into this letter to the Romans, we will get a fuller explanation of Paul's explanation of this position.

When it comes to sin, do you think there are some sins that are worse than others? For instance, do you think it's more wrong to kill someone than it is to commit adultery? Or maybe more sinful to rob a bank than it is to tell lies about someone?

These are sins against the 10 Commandments and yet we tend to think of some sins as being more serious than others.

Truth is, we are all sinners. And our sins are sometimes perceived as bigger ones; sometimes smaller ones. But we need to let the blood of Christ wash over us and cleanse us from our sins. All of them.

Think about how important it is to wrap our hearts around this notion of Christ's atonement for us -- especially in this season of Lent.

Do we hang onto our guilt and shame so that Christ can't get across the barrier we've put between him and our sin? Forgiveness is ours for the asking.

God promised. It is so. Believe it.

We pray: Dear Heavenly Father, I thank you for the gift of salvation that is mine because you sent your Son, Jesus Christ, to die for my sins. All my sins. The big ones and the little ones.

Please help me see that in your eyes, a sin is a sin and I pray that you will help me get away from this keeping score that I've been doing. I pray that you will send your Holy Spirit into my heart to clean out all the cobwebs of misguided thinking so that I can let you into every nook and corner of my heart and my soul.

I pray that you will be with me as I go through this day and I thank you for your guidance and care and love.

I pray that you will surround all those I love to keep them safe.

I pray that you will seat good Christian leaders into places of governance throughout the world.

I thank you for all your blessings. Amen.

##

MY LIFE IN INK --

This morning we need to pray for the health and well-being of Billy Graham who had surgery to update a shunt that controls fluids in his brain. At this writing, he is in fair condition in the hospital and is expected to be up walking around shortly. He needed a new valve that will maintain fluid and pressure levels. The beloved 89-year-old evangelist is expected to make a full recovery.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/02/14/graham.surgery.ap/index.html

McCain is getting a much-needed reprieve today. He's is in the Bahamas on an R&R tour. Probably doing some think tank stuff. Don't know if you've ever been around a political campaign but I have. I can tell you that the politicians are always campaign, except for that tiny little ten day window immediately after the polls close. But after that, they're always on.

And local, grassroots politics at the township level is not much different from the big frenzies at the state and national levels. Only difference is the number of zeros after ticket prices and more volunteers at the local level. But the egos are just as big and the feelings of "righteousness" at least as humongous.

Those were not the good old days when I was a secretary in a township office and a precinct captain. Eons ago. That was years before I went back to school to finish what I left undone in the academic world.

My life filled up with the beauty of babies, then Girl Scout troops. Then back to work, starting as a secretary. The world should be nicer to secretaries. They get things done!

##

REMEMBER OUR TROOPS -- from Al Stubbe and Mark Stubbe

You complain of a headache and call in sick. He gets shot at as others are hit, and keeps moving forward.

You put on your anti-war/don't support the troops shit and go meet up with your friends. He still fights for your right to wear that shirt.

You make sure your cell phone is in your pocket. He clutches the cross hanging on his chain next to his dog tags.

You talk trash about your "buddies" that aren't with you. He knows he may not see some of his buddies again.

You walk down the beach, staring at all the pretty girls. He patrols the streets, searching for insurgents and terrorists.

You complain about how hot it is. He wears his heavy gear, not daring to take off his helmet to wipe his brow.

You go out to lunch and complain because the restaurant got your order wrong. He doesn't get to eat today.

Your maid makes your bed and washes your clothes. He wears the same things for weeks, but makes sure his weapons are clean.

You go to the mall and get your hair redone. He doesn't have time to brush his teeth today.

You're angry because your class ran five minutes over. He's told he will be held over an extra two months.

You call your girlfriend and set a date for tonight. He waits for the mail to see if there is a letter from home.

You hug and kiss your girlfriend, like you do every day. He holds his letter close and smells his love's perfume.

You roll your eyes as a baby cries. He gets a letter with pictures of his new child, and wonders if they'll ever meet.

You criticize your government and say that war never solves anything. He sees the innocent tortured and killed by their own people and remembers why he's fighting.

You hear the jokes about the war and make fun of men like him. He hears the gunfire, bombs and screams of the wounded.

You see only what the media wants you to see. He sees the broken bodies lying around him.

You are asked to go to the store by your parents. You don't. He does exactly what he is told even if it puts his life in danger.

You stay at home and watch TV. He takes whatever time he is given to call, write home, sleep, and eat.

You crawl into your soft bed with down pillows, and get comfortable. He tries to sleep but gets awakened by mortars and helicopters all night long.

##


PUPPY SIZE -- from Antoinette Oberheu

"Danielle keeps repeating it over and over again. We've been back to this animal shelter at least five times. It has been weeks now since we started all of this," the mother told the volunteer.

"What is it she keeps asking for?" the volunteer asked.

"Puppy size!" replied the mother.

"Well, we have plenty of puppies, if that's what she's looking for."

"I know -- we've seen most of them," the mom said in frustration.

Just then Danielle came walking into the office.

"Well, did you fine one?" asker her mom.

"No, not this time," Danielle said with sadness in her voice. "Can we come back on the weekend?"

The two women looked at each other, shook their heads and laughed.

"You never know when we will get more dogs. Unfortunately, there's always a supply," the volunteer said.

Danielle took her mother by the hand and headed to the door. "Don't worry, I'll find one this weekend," she said.

Over the next few days both mom and dad had long conversations with her. They both felt she was being too particular. "It's this weekend or we're not looking anymore," Dad finally said in frustration.

"We don't want to hear anything more about puppy size either," mom added.

Sure enough, they were the first ones in the shelter on Saturday morning. But now Danielle knew her way around, so she ran right for the section that housed the smaller dogs.

Tired of the routine, Mom sat in the small waiting room at the end of the first row of cages. There was an observation window so you could see the animals during times when visitors weren't permitted.

Danielle walked slowly from cage to cage, kneeling periodically to take  a closer look. One by one the dogs were brought out and she held each one.

One by one she said, "Sorry, you're not the one."

It was the last cage on this last day in search of the perfect puppy.

The volunteer opened the cage door and the child carefully picked up the dog and held it closely. This time she took a little longer.

"Mom, that's it! I found the right puppy! He's the one! I know it!" she screamed with joy. "It's the puppy size!"

"But it's the same size as all the other puppies you held over the last few weeks," mom said.

"No, not size -- the sighs. When I held him in my arms, he sighed," she said.

"Don't you remember? When I asked you one day what love is, you told me love depends on the sighs of your heart. The more you love, the bigger the sigh!"

The two women looked at each other for a moment. Mom didn't know whether to laugh or cry. As she stopped down to hug her child, she did a little of both.

"Mom, every time you hold me, I sigh. When you and Daddy come home from work and hug each other, you both sigh. I knew I would find the right puppy if it sighed when I held it in my arms," she said.

Then holding the puppy up close to her face, she said, "Mom, he loves me. I heard the sighs of his heart!"

Close your eyes for a moment and think about the love that makes you sigh. I not only find it in the arms of my loved ones, but in the caress of a sunset, the kiss of the moonlight and the gentle brush of cool air on a hot day.

They are the sighs of God. Take the time to stop and listen; you will be surprised at what you hear.

Remember: Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

##

HERE'S A QUIZ TO ENTERTAIN YOU DURING THE LONG WINTRY NIGHTS -- from Becky Mayfield

This is a quiz for people who know everything. I found out in a hurry that I didn't. These are not trick questions. They are straight questions with straight answers.

1. Name the one sport in which neither the spectators nor the participants know the score or the leader until the contest ends.

2. What famous North American landmark is constantly moving backward?

3. Of all the vegetables, only two can life to produce on their own for several growing seasons. All other vegetables must be replanted every year. What are the only two perennial vegetables?

4. Wha fruit has its seeds on the outside?

5. In many liquor stores, you can buy pear brandy, with a real pear inside the bottle. The pear is whole and ripe, and the bottle is genuine; it hasn't been cut in any way. How did the pear get inside the bottle?

6. Only three words in standard English begin with the letters "dw" and they are all common words. Name two of them.

7. There ae 14 punctuation marks in English grammar. Can you name at least half of them?

8. Name the only vegetable or fruit that is never sold frozen, canned, processed, cooked, or in any other form except fresh.

9. Name 6 or more things that you can wear on your feet beginning with the letter "S."

ANSWERS:

1. Boxing
2. Niagara Falls -- The rim is worn down about two and a half feet each year because of the millions of gallons of water that rush over it every minute.
3. Asparagus and rhubarb
4. Strawberry
5. The bottles are placed over pear buds when they are small, and are wired in place on the tree. The bottle is left in place for the entire growing season. When the pears are ripe, they are snipped off at the stems.
6. Dwarf, dwell and dwindle
7. Period, comma, colon, semicolon, dash, hyphen, apostrophe, question mark, exclamation point, quotation marks, brackets, parenthesis, braces, and ellipses.
8. Lettuce
9. Shoes, socks, sandals, sneakers, slippers, skis, skates, snowshoes, stockings, stilts

##



BIBLE STUDY: Romans 2:1-29

In this chapter, Paul outlines how God is going to inflict judgment. And he raises the question again about circumcision. This was an important pillar of faith for the Jewish people -- maybe even the one significant difference between the Jews and the Gentiles.

But it wasn't the act of circumcision itself, but rather, the significance of that act. Circumcision meant that the Jewish person had a covenant relationship with God that went all the way back to antiquity.

Paul opens this chapter with instructions about how God judges people -- and it doesn't have much to do with whether or not they are circumcised either.

Paul says that people ought not to judge others. When they do this, they are also condemning themselves because humanness brings with it this inability to lead lives free of sin.

That is an important criteria God uses when he judges us. Paul brings a warning here that we condemn ourselves when we accuse other people of sin, because we, too, are sinners. So unless we're perfect, we should just be quiet about what other people are doing wrong.

Useless tattling is annoying. It's annoying to us as earthly parents, and apparently it's hugely annoying to God. Listen to verse 3: So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the  same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment?

Then, in verse 4, Paul tells the Jews to not misconstrue God's kindness and patience because these kindnesses are meant to bring people to redemption. My Concordia Study Bible has a footnote that explains it this way: The Jews had misconstrued [God's] patience to be a lack of intent to judge. (p. 1718)

Paul, having the authority to speak about such matters, wants the believers in Rome -- Jews and Gentiles alike -- to just stop it! He says they are stubborn and have an unrepentant heart and because they are apparently keeping score of the wrongs that other people are doing, they are storing up God's wrath that will come down on their heads when the day of judgment comes for all people.

In verse 6, Paul warns: God will give to each person according to what he has done.

Wow! What happened to the God who paved the way to salvation by his grace?

Well folks, just because God is a gracious God, it doesn't mean you can sin on purpose and pray for forgiveness in advance of sinning.

No indeed. If you are a true believer and have faith in your heart, you are going to lead a life that resists sin. Not that you can ever be perfect, but you can be as good as you can be. And God is not in any mood to be all that gracious to lazy Christians, it seems to me.

So even though you aren't ever going to buy your way into heaven with your good behavior, your faith will lead you to God's grace because you will always be trying to resist sin.

God notices such things. Don't think for one minute that he isn't paying attention to each and every thing that we do as we go through our days. Take a look at what the Holy Spirit -- through Paul -- says in verses 9-11: There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil; first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good; first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For God does not show favoritism.

Okay -- so put that gun away. You aren't going to rob anybody! And cancel that date with your lover. Stay home with your spouse instead. And for crying out loud, quit all that gossiping. You know that God doesn't want to hear you talking about other people. While you're at it, go through your purses or pockets and put all those pens back in your desk where they belong. The company you work for is not in the business of supplying you with pens, however cheap they are.

Think about these words from verse 13: For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous.

Just in case the Jews might have thought they were okay in feeling their self-righteousness, Paul goes after that way of thinking. Oh, for sure, he knew exactly how that mind-logic got wrapped around their heads because he had been a self-righteous Jew himself at one time, back in the old days.

In our present day, we would say something like "pot can't call the kettle black."

The monologue in verses 17-24 clearly is aimed at this kind of self-righteous thinking. Paul takes dead aim at how the Jews had wrapped their self-righteousness around their "uppitiness." Paul puts the Jews on notice that it isn't going to fly with him, and it isn't going to fly with God either: Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and brag about your relationship to God;

if you know his will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the law; if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of infants, because you have in the law th embodiment of knowledge and truth -- you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? you who preach against stealing, doyou steal?

You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?

You who brag about the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? As it is written: "God's name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you."

Uh oh! Now Paul is saying that the Jews are leading the Gentiles into a really big sin against the Holy Spirit: blasphemy. That would be big trouble, indeed.

They can just forget all about this big deal they're making about circumcision. See, the Jews had been holding onto circumcision because it represented a covenant relationship with God. It meant that they, as a Jew, had sealed this covenant and because of this, had received a pledge from God. This pledge was a blessing, they thought, that guaranteed God's kindness and favor with them.

Now, here comes Paul who's telling them they've got it all wrong. Can you see where the Jews would have been very upset with Paul? Paul is telling the Jews that they'd better be really careful because circumcision doesn't mean a thing unless they are living their lives by the law of Moses.

If they aren't, then it doesn't matter if they're circumcised or not. They're the same kind of lawbreakers that the pagans, otherwise known as gentiles, are.

Well, how dare Paul tell them that! Just who does Paul think he is, anyway?

Paul is about to tell them in verse 29: No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man's praise is not from men, but from God.

So that's who Paul is -- God's spokesperson. And Paul was not about the let the Jews forget it.

Discussion:

Paul has never met the people in Rome as of this writing. So, as a stranger and as a missionary, what are some other common grounds that he might have used as a strong point in his meeting of the minds with the Jewish believers in Rome?

Keep in mind that these probably were the same Jews who had been present at Pentecost and had witnessed the mighty visuals that God brought to earth during those Pentecostal moments of wonder.

This is not the first time that Paul has argued against circumcision for the Jewish believers. Why do you think that this seems to be Paul's first confrontation of Jewish beliefs?

We pray: Oh, Spirit of the Living God, I pray that you will fill my heart with your love and joy so that I will be able to resist Satan and all the sin that he desires I fall into. I pray that you will keep me strong.

Help me to remember that you have your eyes on me when you look toward the earth, and I pray that you will lift my eyes to the heavens to behold your kindness.

I thank you for all your blessings in Quint's and my life. I pray that you will show us how best to use those blessings to grow your kingdom here on earth.

I pray for all the men and women who serve in our armed forces. Please keep them strong and safe until they are home again reunited with their loved ones.

I pray for my sister, "Cookie," who is in the final days and weeks of her life here on earth from the cancer that has invaded her body. I pray that she will continue to embrace her excitement of coming home to you and also being reunited with our mother and brothers and father. I pray that you will remove the fear of her journey from this earth from her.

I pray for peace for her daughters and her grandchildren. I especially pray for safe travels for her daughter Karen who is making the long journey from Kuwait to be with her mother.

I pray for strength for her daughter Robin who has been lovingly ministering to Cookie's needs for months and months.

I pray for all who are experiencing marital strife. Please fill the hearts of these couples with love so that they can be reunited within the framework of a Christian marriage and bring them to your house where they can worship and praise you as they ought to.

I ask all these things in the name of your son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

##

MY LIFE IN INK --

Some elections yesterday -- the Potomac primaries as they're called.

It changes things because, for the first time, Obama is leading in the delegate count. He now has 1,223 delegates while Hillary has 1,198. The Democrats have decided that they need 2,025 delegates to cinch the nomination as their party's nominee.

The Republicans, on the other hand, need 1,191 delegates to get the nomination. McCain now has 821 delegates while Huckabee has 241. But hiding in the background are delegates who are still committed to Romney. Like, over 200 delegates. Keep in mind that he only "suspended" his presidential run. He didn't really say he was quitting the race. And he hasn't released his delegates to go to a candidate whom he would endorse.

So what does this all mean? Well, unless they've changed the rules again, the delegates are obligated to vote for the candidate they were elected to support. That is, on the first ballot. If the conventions open and the first ballot still doesn't give a candidate a clear nomination, then the delegates are released from this obligation and can get into some real "horse trading."

That's happened in the past. But I don't think there has been the need for multiple ballots for decades. Might happen this year at the Democratic convention though.
 
And so it goes.

The real news here is that it's too darn cold! It's only 14 degrees but hopefully it will go on up to at least the freezing mark later today. I'm looking forward to tomorrow when it promises to get up to 47 degrees. My little daffodils seem to be doing okay. Still. Springs a comin'!

##

BIBLE STUDY: Romans 1:1-32 (NIV)

Martin Luther considered Paul's letter to the Romans as the purest nugget of Christian faith. Luther felt so strongly about this that he thought everybody ought to memorize the letter. (Concordia Study Bible, page 1713)

Though there are, no doubt, differing opinions as to where Paul was actually sitting when he wrote this letter, most scholarly thinkers hold to the notion that Paul was in Corinth, or possibly Cenchrea which is a port city about six miles from Corinth (Romans 16:1).

He had gone to Corinth to collect the monies that were being held for the poor folks in and around Jerusalem. While Paul really really wanted to go to Rome to meet with the new churches there, he also knew that he was challenged by the need to go to Jerusalem first.

But the churches in Rome had needs too and Paul wanted to minister to those needs of faith. The year 57 A.D. seems likely for this letter. There were churches in Rome; had been there since that whole exciting event at Pentecost when they were present and received the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. These Romans then brought the message of salvation back to Rome and established churches there, meeting safely in peoples' homes. 

Except for moments of history, I'm not sure that it's all that important to know what month, what address, and who would be journeying to Rome with this letter. By that I mean that the power and beauty of the message itself is far more important to me than the minute details of Paul's itinerary.

But that's just my point of view. Others will hold a different view that would propel them to discovering the names of Paul's hosts if they could, and that's fine too.

Paul introduces himself in the very first sentence of this letter. He very quickly reiterates the fact that Jesus Christ is the very personage of God who was promised to mankind through he prophets of old.

And Paul reiterates to the Romans (in verses 5-6) that he comes ...through him and for his name's sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith. And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.

In verse 7, Paul addresses this letter to all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints.

Paul uses the word "saints" throughout his writings to mean Christians. Christians are saints because they have been named as righteous or holy by God, and they become even more so because of their welcoming the Holy Spirit into their hearts.  

Paul wants the Romans to know that their faith is well known throughout the world and that he was praying for them every day. Paul also lets them know that if there's any way -- any possible way at all -- he would truly relish the idea of coming to Rome to worship with them and minister to them. In verse 11, Paul says that he hopes to bring them "some spiritual gift" to make them strong.

In verses 16-17, we find the golden nugget of the New Testament that becomes a repeating theme in all of Paul's writings: I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jews, then for the Gentiles. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."

Keep in mind that Paul uses the word "righteous" to mean having a right relationship with God.

In the very next verse, Paul says that the wrath of God is revealed from heaven to all the godless people and these godless people deny themselves the truth about God. That truth about God is very plain -- it's not hard to figure out at all -- because God makes it very plain.

Since the very creation of the earth, God has made his truth known -- this truth is centered around his eternal power and divine nature. There is no excuse for not knowing this, but rather, godless people deny God's nature. For those godless people, there is God's wrath -- this is not a human anger but rather, a kind of disgust for this rejection that leads God to turn the godless people out to pursue their sins.

These are the people who Paul says in verse 25: They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator -- who is forever praised. Amen."

It reminds me of something a professor once said to a theology class I was in: "You worship the god at whose altar you bow."

If that "altar" is bags and bags of riches, then you have made that wealth your idol.

If you are a workaholic, then you have made your job your idol.

And just in case the Romans didn't quite get the full idea of what he was talking about, Paul describes the ungodless in this way: They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity.

They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice, they are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless.

Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.

Discussion: If you embrace God in all his glory and live your life to be near him and feel his presence everywhere you go, then you know what Paul means by "righteous." On the other hand, if you feel a distance from God, like you aren't really all that connected, then you know that in your heart too. So how would you resolve that feeling of not being righteous?

Of these faith practices, which are the ones you exercise strongly and which are the ones you need to work on?

Prayer
Weekly worship and praise with other believers
Daily reading of God's word

Each and every one of us, because of our humanness, needs to exhibit great care that we do not make anything or anyone an idol. God is first -- everything else comes after that.

Re-read the final verses of this first chapter and compare it to what Christ said in John 10:27-30 -- My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one.

How does this message from Christ compare to Paul's comment in verse 24: Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another.

Satan lurks around here on earth. We must remain steadfast and vigilant to resist all temptations that Satan puts before us. We must choose God and know that the truth of God is that he is far more powerful than Satan.

We pray: Dear heavenly Father, I pray that your truth will rest upon me so that I can follow you alone.

I pray that you will give me the strength to deny Satan any entry whatsoever in my heart.

I pray that you will strengthen all our children and their spouses and also our grandchildren. Please keep them all safe in your tender care so that they continue to welcome your truth.

I pray that you will keep Quint in the safety of the palm of your hand, and for myself as well, as we go through our lives together.

I thank you for sending your son, Jesus Christ, to redeem me from all my sins. As I go through this preparation time of Lent, help me be mindful of this tremendous sacrifice that you have made for me and for all mankind, so that our sins will be washed away in the precious blood of Christ.

I pray that you will keep me close to you so that you will not have to come looking for me. Keep me near you. And I thank you so much for caring where I am and what I am doing. Amen.

##

MY LIFE IN INK --

I have been trying to get on the internet for a couple of hours since I returned from the dentist. It happens when the temperature gets really cold and there's ice and snow on the cable line (that hangs from utility poles).

I saw the cable guy out there climbing up the pole about an hour ago so there must be troubles in paradise.

I think I'm going to wait for the great February thaw and perhaps things will be better tomorrow.

But I will tell you that the next Bible Study will focus on the Letter to the Romans. Traditionally, this is the letter that was written after Paul wrote his letters to the Corinthians. In fact, rumor has it that Paul wrote to the church in Rome while he was actually in Corinth. But it might be, that he wrote the letter from Ephesus or Macedonia. At any rate, the letter was written about 57 or 58 A.D.

Now, I realize that scholarly purists like to substantiate historical claims using Biblical references. But I'm comfortable going outside to historical material as well. To that end, St. Jerome says that Paul arrived in Rome in 56 A.D. St. Jerome says that Paul went to Rome in the second year of Nero. And since Nero succeeded Claudius as Emporer, that date is the preferred one.

read more: http://www.asis.com/users/stag/roylsoap.html

So I'm going to get off the Internet for now and hope that this post will go all the way through to the world wide web.

##

MY LIFE IN INK --

Good grief, where does the time go?

All I wanted to do was see if there were any Gregorian chants on You Tube.
There are some absolutely delicious ones.

Here's the one that's playing now:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=5PYsDMRj-qg&feature=related -- it follows the life of Christ all the way to the resurrection. Beautiful graphics, well, except for the front yard nativity set that has lights all over it. Could have done without that since there were good desert scenes and Bethlehem scenes with the baby Jesus and Mary and Joseph. Didn't need an Elm Street nativity set. But that's just my opinion. The rest of the video makes up for it -- especially the scene when Christ leaves the tomb after he'd been buried.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=_MbDqc3x97k&feature=related -- these are benedictions by chanters -- against a backdrop of some fantastic pastoral photos

http://youtube.com/watch?v=NeNcdmbmk-w&feature=related -- these look like monks getting ready to go into a Chapter House for their daily Bible Study

And would you believe that a couple of my favorite Simon & Garfunkel songs kind of lend themselves to chanting, although they're sung, not chanted. But it's definitely reminiscent of a Gregorian chant.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=dySZpw4JJC4&feature=related -- The Sound of Silence

http://youtube.com/watch?v=FVLQNIZnuLY&feature=related -- Bridge Over Troubled Water -- beautiful orchestral too

Now I understand the famous quote by Mr/Ms Anonymous: Music can break your heart and heal it at the same time.

Anyone who has ever felt deep deep emotional pain knows exactly what that means. If not, the poet Khalil Gibran explained it this way: Pain carves ruts in your soul so that you can fill them with joy.

It is overcast here with a temperature all the way up to 19 degrees now. We're expecting snow this afternoon. Maybe a dusting of 1 - 3 inches, and some more snow later on this evening. Perhaps another 3 inches. The prediction is 6 -10 inches of snow for folks living north of I-70. See, there is a thermal thing going on where interstates are concerned. I personally believe that these thermals set up a kind of weather pattern of their own.

The temperatures in International Falls, Minnesota (the nation's "ice box") was -15 degrees on Sunday, with a wind chill sinking it down to -40 degrees. There, doesn't that make you feel warmer?

But spring will be here soon. My daffodils are growing through their dirt blanket. Hardy little darlings, aren't they? These are the special daffodils that are pink, not yellow. They came up last year but since they were just getting their little feet in the ground, they didn't really fill in the space all that much. I'm expecting a bigger beautiful show this year.
 
Enjoy the music. It will soothe your soul.

##

Did you know that there are two defining forces that have ever been offered to die for you:

1 Jesus Christ
2. The American soldier

And here's another thought: since George Bush is getting blamed for everything from global warming to stock market cooling, I propose that the San Andreas Fault be renamed to the George Bush Fault.

And here's what Ronald Reagan had to say: Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. But the Marines don't have that problem. -- and I would add to that all our men and women in every branch of the service.

##

COP STOP -- from Alice Stubbe

A Mississippi trooper pulled a car over on Highway 82 about 2 miles east of the Mississippi/Alabama state line. When the trooper asked the driver why he was speeding, the driver said he was a magician and juggler and was on his way to Columbus to do a show at the Shrine Circue and didn't want to be late.

The trooper told the driver he was fascinated by juggling and asked if he -- the driver -- would do a little juggling for him then the wouldn't get a ticket.

The driver told the trooper he had sent his equipment ahead and didn't have anything to juggle. The trooper said he had some flares in the trunk and asked if the magician could juggle them.

The juggler said he could, so the trooper got 3 flares, lit them, and handed them to the juggler.

While the man was juggling, a car pulled in behind the patrol car, a drunken Mississippi good old boy got out, watched the performance, then went over to the patrol car, opened the rear door and got in.

The trooper saw him and went over to the patrol car, opened the door and asked the drunk what he thought he was doing.

The drunk said, "You might as well take me to jail -- there's no way in the world I can pass that test!"

##


BIBLE STUDY: 2 Corinthians 13:1-14

We close this second letter to the Corinthians with this chapter.

I do want to add a note, though, from Chapter 12. And that is, there are some theologians who believe that the person Paul is referring to who went up to the third heaven is himself. Paul says that this man heard "inexpressible things, things that man is not permitted to tell." Then Paul says, "I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself." (my emphasis)

My question is, "Who would know besides Paul and God?" Some pastors have told me that Paul is definitely talking about himself; others have said absolutely not.

Here's what I think: Men write their opinions -- Paul writes the truth. Paul's truth was from God through the Holy Spirit. And for whatever reason, if God did not want Paul to tell people that he had gone up to the third heaven and come down to earth again, then Paul should not tell.

And just as a reminder of this covenant with God, there was this aching, painful source of a physical nature that was always there reminding Paul that his was a secret between him and God. It was almost like God was whispering to Paul, "Don't tell. This is a secret between us that you must carry to your grave. It would serve no purpose to let anyone know. It's our secret." 

Could it be that this was Paul fourteen years before when he went out into the desert to spend time with God shortly after his conversion?

What do you think? I'd truly like to know if you care to e-mail me.

But I get sidetracked.

Back to Chapter 13. Paul remains steadfast in his displeasure about these false apostles who have infested the faith of the churches at Corinth. God, through Paul, just will not tolerate this and Paul wants the Corinthians to know that when he comes to visit them for the third time, he is most hopeful that he will not have to deal harshly with them.

Oh my goodness, Paul, for sure, would much rather fellowship with them in the full bloom of God's love and truth.

But if he needs to, Paul is prepared to deal harshly with those who have sinned. And what is the sin that Paul is referring to?

Well, the 8th Commandment specifically says that bearing false witness, or lying, is one of the ten commandments that God brought down to Moses when the stone tablets were inscribed for all eternity.

In verses 2-3, we read: I already gave you a warning when I was with you the second time. I now repeat it while absent: On my return I will not spare those who sinned earlier or any of the others, since you are demanding proof that Christ is speaking through me. He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful among you.

My Concordia Study Bible says this on p.1789: Rebellion against Paul is rebellion against Christ, who appointed him as his apostle. The authority of the apostle is the authority of his Master. Any who imagine that Paul is weak will find that Christ, the Lord who speaks through his apostle, is not weak but powerful.

Now Paul tells the Corinthians that instead of challenging whether Paul is speaking with apostolic authority, they should look into their own hearts to see if Christ is living within them. Read verse 5: Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you -- unless, of course, you fail the test?

Paul then challenges them with verse 6: I trust that you will discover that we have not failed the test.

And after these self-examinations are completed, Paul is hopeful that the Corinthians will come back to their faith in God and in Christ and in the Holy Spirit. And that faith will bring them to the full acceptance that Paul is the voice that God is using to build up the churches in Corinth. If they can accept that, then no proof of Paul's apostolic authority is needed. But if they do not believe, then what could Paul possibly do to prove it to them?

Well, I for one, would not want an earthquake to fall on my head if I kept challenging Paul's authority to speak God's thoughts to the Corinthians. After all, Paul had plenty of "proof" to give them and if they didn't believe after hearing Paul's story about his own conversion, what else could there be that would convince them?

So in verse 10, Paul offers this reminder of why his letter carries such a harsh tone: This is why I write these things when I am absent, that when I come I may not have to be harsh in my use of authority -- the authority the Lord gave me for building you up, not for tearing you down.

And finally, Paul closes this letter with an all too familiar Trinitarian benediction that has become a part of worship services throughout the world, since this time of Paul's ministry: May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. (verse 14)

For discussion:

Do you think that Paul could have done a miracle or two to prove to the Corinthians that his power was from God?

And if he did perform miracles, don't you think the false apostles would have twisted that around to say that even Satan can perform miracles?

We know from the book, The Acts of the Apostles, that Paul did perform miracles.

In Acts 13:6-11, the reference is that Paul blinds Elymas (Barjesus), the false prophet.

Acts 14:3 refers to Paul and Barnabas performing signs and wonders in Lystra.

In Acts 14:8-10, Paul heals a lame man while in Lystra.

In Acts 19:11-12, Paul performed many miracles, healing and casting out demons with the use of handkerchiefs and aprons.

In Acts 20-9-12 Paul raises Eutychus from the dead.

In Acts 28-1-6 Paul is unharmed by a snakebite on Melita.

In Acts 28:8-9, Paul heals many diseases while on the island of Melita.

In Romans 15:15-19, Paul declares his ministry established by his "mighty signs and wonders."

And in 2 Corinthians 12:12, Paul declares his miracles, signs and wonders form a part of his apostolic credentials.

Paul's reminder to the Corinthians is that Christ lives in their hearts. They are to reach deep inside themselves -- way down deep -- so deep that they can touch the presence of Christ alive within them. That is the faith that will bring them to  believe that Christ speaks through Paul and it is that faith that also brings them to the belief that Paul has the apostolic authority to speak for God the Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.

Do you feel Christ alive in your heart?

Do you feel Christ listening to you when you pray?

If not, what do you think you could do to bring your faith back to the strength it needs to be?

Here's a clue: Ask the Holy Spirit to join with you to strengthen your faith. Help is always on the way when you pray for assistance from the Holy Spirit.

We pray:

Lord, I bring to you powerful requests for prayer for Dawn who wants so much to heal the strife in her marriage. I pray that you will bring strength to her and her husband so that their union will be blessed with joy once again and that they will enjoy a Christian marriage at your altar of grace.

And Lord I pray that you will send your son, the Divine Healer, to Laura who caps her fifth year from cancer this month. I pray that tests and scans today will show her body returning to health and healing. I pray that you will continue to keep Laura strong so that she can also believe in herself.

I pray for all our readers who join us every hour of every day in faraway places around the world. Bless them as they look to you for strength and guidance in their search of your Word and in their hours of need.

I pray that you will hear the prayers of each one as they bring their prayers to your outstretched hands.

I pray for Freida and Guy who are trying to shake off a flu bug. I pray that you will bring them to full health. And I pray for the richest blessings for their new grandson and -- Jackson, I believe his name is -- and for Jackson's mother and father who have this tender young baby to care for. I pray that you will watch over them all.

And I thank you for all the blessings you have given to Quint and me. Help us use the gifts of your love to reach others in caring ways. And I pray that you would continue to bless us and extend our reach so that others can come to you through these daily messages.

I especially pray for our children and grandchildren who are miles and miles from us. Keep them in your care, dear Lord. Amen.

##
 

MY LIFE IN INK --

The stimulus money is coming! May be in your hands by May (of this year, mind you.)

It started out as a presidential request for $145 billion. Passed the House with a 380-34 vote.

Then it went over to the Senate. By the time the senators put their nickels and dimes into the package, it had grown to $168 billion. There, it passed with a vote of 81-16.

So let's see, 81 + 16 = 97. There are 100 senators. Who was missing? Do you suppose it could possibly be the senators who are running for president themselves?

Another good reason to bring back the law that congress repealed some while ago that they had to forfeit a day's pay for every day they weren't present when congress was in session. Used to not be a whole big wheelbarrow full of money, but since they're making $162,500, that money could be used to reduce the debt or feed hungry children, or if they got really desperate and couldn't figure out a good program, just send it to me. I would willingly become a one-woman war on excess inventory reduction.

I'd share. I have lots of girlfriends who could go shopping with me. And then we could go to spas and relax, laughing and giggling a lot.

I wonder just how long it would take me to spend $162,500. If I didn't buy a new car, it might last some little while. Especially since I have three of just about everything in this house.

See, we used to have stuff in the condo, and stuff down here after we bought this house a year or so ago, and stuff in the office. Quint announced the other day that we just ran out of paper towels. And I may not have to buy cleaning supplies at all before I die, which will be when I'm 135 years old. Quint and I made a deal that we'd stick around for each other that long. We'll be married 100 years old by then. Probably squeak a lot when we walk.

Uh oh -- I read that Polaroid is closing is plant here in the U.S. where they make that lightning fast film. They're not going to be making the film anywhere in the solar system by the end of the year.

We don't really care. Our daughter Sharon and her husband Ron and grandkids Jerry and Heather got us a digital camera for Mothers Day/Fathers Day a couple of years ago so we retired our Polaroid camera. Now we can't even give the Polaroid away. That wouldn't be very nice -- give a camera to someone that you couldn't get film for.

And before Al Gore goes and makes anymore movies, I have to tell you that the sun is entering into a "quiet period." That will usher in a period of -- you guessed it -- global cooling!!!

A full article was printed in Investors Business Daily: http://ibdeditorial.com/IBDArticles.aspx?id=287279412587175

Real scientists have been studying a phenomena called the Maunder Minimum. This phenomena says the earth cools down and warms up in fairly repeating cycles. Now we're headed for a cold cycle that might resemble the one started about 1650 and lasted until 1715.

It was not the best of times for folks to be landing at Plymouth Rock unless they were packing snowblowers and lots of little portable heaters. 

The claim is also made that solar activity fluctuates in an 11-year cycle. I know all about that because this time frame is also correlated to a bumper crop of rattlesnakes. And it's in my best interests to know about such things just in case I want to go out west again.

I remember one year when Quint's niece graduated from college and we were in Colorado to witness her bungee jump. Quint's sister Jeanine was videographing this momentous event and one of the grandkids tugged at her elbow to warn Jeanine that a rattlesnake was by her foot. Jeanine just kicked the darn thing. She said it was just a baby but everybody knows that venom is compensatorily more dangerous in baby poisonous snakes.

Well, I just stood there frozen in time. And it wasn't because of global cooling either.

##

CHOCOLATE SINGS -- from Antoinette Oberheu

Ond day I had a date for lunch with friends. Mae, a little old "blue hair" about 80 years old, came along with them -- all in all, a pleasant bunch. When the menus were presented, we ordered salads, sanwiches and soups, except for Mae who said, "Ice cream, please. Two scoops. Chocolate."

I wasn't sure my ears heard right, and the others were aghast. "Along with heated apple pie," Mae added, completely unabashed.

We tried to act quite nonchalant, as if people did this all the time. But when our orders wre brought out, I didn't enjoy mine.

I couldn't take my eyes off Mae as her pie-ala-mode went down. The other ladies showed dismay. They ate their lunches silently and frowned.

The next time I went out to eat, I called and invited Mae. I lunched on white meat tuna. She ordered a parfait. I smiled. She asked if she amused me. I answered, "Yes, you do, but also, you confuse me. How come you order rich desserts, while I feel I  must be sensible?

She laughed and said, with wanton mirth, "I'm tasting all that's possible. I try to eat the food I need, and do the things I should.

"But life's so short, my friend. I hate missing out on something good.

"This year I realized how old I was. (She grinned.) I haven't been this old before. So, before I die, I've got to try those things that for years I had ignored.

"I haven't smelled all the flowers yet.

"There are too many books I haven't read.

"There's more fudge sundaes to wolf down and kites to be flown overhead.

"There are many malls I haven't shopped. I've not laughed at all the jokes.

"I've missed a lot of Broadway hits and potato chips and cokes.

"I want to wade again in water and feel the ocean spray on my face.

"I want to sit in a country church once more and thank God for his grace.

"I want peanut butter every day spread on my morning toast.

"I want un-timed long distance calls to the folks I love the most.

"I haven't cried at all the movies yet, or walked in the morning rain."

With that, I called the waitress over. "I've changed my mind," I said. "I want what she's having, only add some more whipped cream."

This is my gift to you: Live well, love much and laugh often. Be happy.

Be mindful that happiness isn't based on possessions, power, or prestige.

But on relationships with people we love and respect.

Remember that while money talks, chocolate sings!!

##

UNANSWERED QUESTIONS -- from Alice Stubbe

Why isn't the number 11 pronounced onety-one?

If 4 out of 5 suffer from diarrhea, does that mean that one out of five enjoys it?

Why do croutons come in airtight packages? Aren't they just stale bread to begin with?

If people from Poland are called Poles, then why aren't people from Holland called Holes?

If a pig loses its voice, it is disgruntled?

Why is a person who plays the piano called a pianist, but a person who drives a racecar isn't called a racist?

If it's true that we are here to help others, then what exactly are the others here for?

If lawyers are disbarred, and clergymen defrocked, then doesn't it follow that electricians can be delighted, musicians denoted, cowboys deranged, models deposed, tree surgeons debarked, and dry cleaners depressed?

If Fed Ex and UPS were to merge, would they call it Fed UP?

Do Lipton Tea employees take coffee breaks?

What hair color do they put on the driver's licenses of bald men?

I thought about how mothers feed their babies with tiny little spoons and forks, so I wondered what do Chinese mothers use. Toothpicks?

Why do they put pictures of criminals up in the post office? What are we supposed to do, write to them? Why don't they just put their pictures on the postage stamps so the mailmen can look for them while they deliver the mail?

Is it true that you never really learn to swear until you learn to drive?

If a cow laughed, would milk come out of her nose?

Whatever happened to Preparations A through G?

As income tax time approaches, did you ever notice: when you put the two words "The" and "IRS" together, it spells "Theirs?"

##

BIBLE STUDY: 2 Corinthians 12:1-21

Paul shares a curious story with the Corinthians in verse 2: I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven...

There are other instances in the New Testament where this passing through the heavens is mentioned.

For instance, in Hebrews 4:14, we read: Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.

This reference is to Christ's ascension for, like the high priests in the temple who, on the Day of Atonement, go from the people's view in the temple to the Holy of Holies. Christ ascends into the heavens, until his disciples could see him no more. But instead of going to a different room in the temple, Christ goes through the heavens to be with his father once again. This signifies that Christ's job of atonement for all mankind is finished.

In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul also mentions Christ's ascension -- Ephesians 4:10 -- He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe. 

Paul explains that he does not know whether or not this man was in the body or out of it. He says in verse 2 that only God knows what truly happened. And then, Paul says that he knows that this man "was caught up to paradise" (verse 4).

Paul says he heard things. But he couldn't talk about these things. He was not permitted to tell.

Then, in verses 5-6, Paul explains further: I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself except about my weaknesses. Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say.

For whatever reason that is known only to God, Paul was graced with this information and sworn to secrecy. But he didn't become conceited about having been singled out with this information. Oh no. Instead, he was given a "thorn in his side." We don't know what that was all about either.

Paul calls this thorn or affliction a "messenger of Satan." He had reconciled himself to having this affliction as a torment. And in verses 8-10 Paul gives us a further glimpse of how he experiences this torment: Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."

Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.

That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Paul then confesses to the Corinthians that he had made a fool of himself. Then he said, "But you made me do it."

And what was it exactly that the Corinthians made him do? They'd pretty much boxed Paul into a corner by challenging his apostleship -- by wondering if he really did have authority from a divine source.

Paul comes out of this situation ready for the argumentative challenge from the Corinthians. He'd already explained to them that he had endured many trials and tribulations, even some experiences that could have killed him. But he still lived by the grace of God.

And in fact, he knew full well that there was a man who was "caught up" to the heavens to be with God-- but not him. It wasn't Paul's time just yet. In verses 11-12, Paul says that he's not the least bit inferior to these super-apostles in Corinth.
In fact, the mark of a real apostle includes signs, wonders and miracles. Paul reminds the folks at Corinth that he had done these things in their midst -- and with great perseverance at that. 

So if it was a contest between Paul and the "super apostles," you can be sure that Paul intended for the false preachers to be on the losing side.

Paul tells the Corinthians that it's time for him to visit them a third time, but he assures them that he will not be a burden to them. But in verse 16b-18, Paul comes back to a sarcastic note: Yet, crafty fellow that I am, I caught you by trickery! 

Did I exploit you through any of the men I sent you?

I urged Titus to go to you and I sent our brothers with him. Titus did not exploit you, did he? Did we not act in the same spirit and follow the same course?

This assertion of Paul's was in response to the lies that had been spread that Paul was just exploiting the Corinthians -- that he was tricking them so that he could get his hands on the money that was being collected for the poor folks in Jerusalem. The false apostles were actually accusing Paul of stealing the funds collected in the churches for charity. You can bet that Paul won't stand for this!

In verses 20-21, Paul talks about his misgivings about his next trip to Corinth: For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be.

I fear that there may be quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder.

I am afraid that when I come again my God will humble me before you, and I will be grieved over many who have sinner earlier and have not repented of the impurity, sexual sin and debauchery in which they have indulged.

Well, that ought to be fair warning to those in Corinth who need to clean up their act and repent of their sins, and change their way of living, don't you think?

Discussion:

1. If you could make one change about yourself, what would it be? (either physically, emotionally, intellectually, or spiritually)

2. Have you ever speculated on what this thorn in Paul's side could be? How did it affect his life?

3. Why do you think that God doesn't take your hurts and afflictions away?

4. Do you lose patience with God when he doesn't answer your prayers and give you what you want?

5. How has God worked through you to accomplish what he wants to do?

We pray: Dear Heavenly Father, so many times I have asked for things that I want that, in retrospect, wouldn't necessarily have been the best thing for me.

I pray that you will give me patience as well as the ability to realize that I just don't need each and everything I ask for.

I pray that you will keep me from being short-tempered with others around me.

I pray that you will watch over and protect our children and grandchildren.

I pray that you would put a hedge around those we love and keep them from harm.

I especially pray that you will also put a hedge around each and every soldier serving in our nation's military so that they will be protected from all harm.

I pray for all the churches around the world who gather to worship you each week. I pray that your Holy Spirit will work miracles of rebirth throughout these churches and that more unchurched people will find their way into the assembly of worshipers who come to praise you. Amen.

##

MY LIFE IN INK --

As if our buddies up north didn't have it bad enough, now they've got arctic air coming down from Canada. It's heading their way just in time to ruin the weekend play with the kiddos -- unless you're into ice fishing.

Our on-going pinochle marathon with Naomi and Norman was a wonderful way to spend an evening -- as always. Naomi got a run during one hand; Norman got aces around. It seemed that one time when Norman got aces around, Quint had three aces. Well, since there are only 8 aces in a single pinochle deck, I can tell you how the game went. I think that was the game when Naomi and I got 30 points. In one hand, my high card was a king. But at the end f the evening, we won some; we lost some. But having the company of good friends makes us all winners.

And oh yes. The bread finally ended up just the way I like it. Nice texture, no big air holes running through the loaf. And it was a nice pale yellow color because I used three eggs, not one that the recipe called for. Makes for a more nutritious loaf of bread. Made good turkey/ham sandwiches. So who cares? I do. Making bread has become one of my favorite hobbies so I'm especially glad when it works out okay.

I think there were three variables that made the difference.

First of all, I used one package of yeast for each two cups of flour.

Second, I used three tablespoons of baking powder. That gave me a nice round crown on the loaf and on the sandwich buns.

And finally, I put the bread into a 450 degree oven to get the "bloom" from the baking powder. After ten minutes at 450, I turned the oven back to 375 degrees and continued baking according to the recipe directions.

Now on to bigger things -- like Romney suspending his campaign. I wasn't surprised, were you? It was a simple math exercise. There weren't enough delegates left for him to cinch the nomination -- unless he got mostly all of the rest. That wasn't likely. So why in the world would he spend $50 million of his own money, knowing you're not going to get the result you want? I mean, he's rich, but not rich enough to just throw his money away. If that's the case, I'd like to send him my address. Besides, his claim to fame is that he's a successful businessman. It seems to me that he would know all about making a plan that would work.

Hmmm. Maybe he should be president. Given time, I might even be able to reach a compromise about the religion subject. I mean, look at all the corruption and greed going on in Washington, D.C. now. Frankly, it doesn't look like the Christians are being all that Godly. If they go back and re-read the list of the 7 Deadly Sins, they'll see greed and gluttony on the list.

But if you listened to McCain's speech at the Conservative Political Action Committee meeting (CPAC) yesterday, you heard him vow never to sign a bill that had a single earmark in it. I'm for that. It isn't that I'm opposed to a whole lot of the projects that these politicos have slipped earmarks into others bills for passage. However, I firmly believe that projects should be included in appropriations bills -- right out there in the open.

A great many of the projects could better be funded by the state budgets. I mean, we're always talking about reducing the size of the federal government. This would be a good first step toward reducing the federal bureaucracy. That way, for instance, a fine arts center in Indiana wouldn't be paid for by taxpayers in New Mexico. Funding such projects closer to home would be a lot more efficient because it would take layers of bureaucracy off the project -- and that would be a cost savings right there.

Not only that, but the closer a project gets to scrutiny of taxpayers, the more transparency and accountability there is. And who knows -- maybe even more honest.  

The federal government is the largest single employer in the United States. The time has come to start sending these earmarked projects back to the congressional districts for funding.

##

BIBLE STUDY: 2 Corinthians 11:1-33

If anyone, including me, ever thought that mission work was a bed of roses, this chapter ought to set that record straight.

Paul has, up to this point, tried many avenues of approach to get the Corinthians back to their faith. Yet these false apostles seem to be haunting Paul. He is as protective of his new charges as a mother hen would be with a new brood of chicks.

And if Paul, who is locked into his humanness, feared losing a single Corinthian, can you image how God feels with the thought that even one of his own is threatened by Satan.

Even though John hadn't written his gospel message yet, we can get a glimpse of how God feels about this very subject, for in John 10:28-30, God said through his son, Jesus Christ, as John penned: I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. I and the Father are one.

Even though it would be forty some years before John would put this gospel message to pen and paper, they were the words of Jesus Christ. God is a forgiving God and there are no sins that are unforgivable, save one. And that is to turn your back and heart away from God. Everything else you do in life is forgivable. Believe that and your place in heaven is reserved through the blood of Jesus Christ who died to forgive you from each and every sin that you have ever committed.

Paul spoke to the Corinthians with divine authority.

He opens this chapter with a bit of a warning that he might appear foolish but he's going to compare himself with these false teachers and in doing so, it just might look like he's bragging. This was something that Paul was ordinarily very much opposed to, but he must have thought that it was okay in this instance because these were extraordinary times.

So after Paul explains why he's going to do this, he gets specific in verses 3-6: But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.

For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough.

But I do not think I am in the least inferior to those "super-apostles."

I may not be a trained speaker, but I do have knowledge. We have made this perfectly clear to you in every way.

So there's the motive for this soliloquy in verse 3. Paul is afraid that Satan will make them turn their backs on God just like he did with Eve thousands of years before.

Paul is only too aware that Satan is sly and crafty for if he could turn Eve to sin, when she was created without sin in God's paradise along with Adam, what could Satan do with sinners a few thousand years later?

Even though Paul's letter was penned four decades before John's gospel was, the messages that both these men brought were from God who is timeless.

Paul calls these false apostles "super apostles" in a sarcastic tone for just like Satan, they had really inflated their opinion of themselves. Satan got kicked out of heaven for doing just that. And Paul wanted to make sure these trouble-making, super-apostles got kicked out of the churches they had infested.

In verse 7, Paul asks the Corinthians if they thought it was wrong of him to preach the gospel free of charge. This is a curious question and a note in my Concordia Study Bible, page 1786, explains that the false apostles had accused Paul of not taking money because it just proved that his instructions were worthless.

These first century teachers and philosophers had kind of banded together and decided that they ought to charge for their instructional services. Paul, on the other hand, broke rank with them and offered himself as a teacher to the Corinthians without making any demand for payment.

And on the contrary, his message was not worthless, but rather, the gold standard for he came to the Corinthians with messages straight from God.

That's not to say that Paul didn't get paid for pastoring in other churches. In fact, Paul reminds the Corinthians that, in a way, he was robbing the other churches in Macedonia who were supporting him very generously and most willingly.

This was especially true of the church in Philippi, for we read in Philippians 4:15-16: Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid again and again when I was in need.

Perhaps it was just a little reminder that even though Paul's instructions were free to the Corinthians, other churchs in Philippi bore the cost of Paul's support while he made mission forays throughout the area.

Then Paul assures them in verse 12: ...I will keep on doing what I am doing in order to cut the ground from under those who want an opportunity to be considered equal with us in the things they boast about.

Paul exposes the false apostles as servants of Satan. They're masquerading under a cloak of righteousness and, as Paul says in verse 15, in the end they're going to get what they deserve.

Paul then makes a list of everything he has endured in his mission journeys -- things that these false apostles wouldn't tolerate. And they are the ones -- these super-apostles or false teachers -- who would enslave the Corinthians and exploit them. They'd be only too willing to take advantage of the people at Corinth. Their exploitation ought to feel like a slap in the face! (verse 20)

So Paul has compared how he is very different from these false apostles, now in verses 22. Paul is Hebrew. He is an Israelite. He's a descendant of Abraham.

But starting at verse 23, Paul makes additions to his list of hardships he has endured. These tribulations include everything from being beaten -- both with lashes and with rods, even stoned, had been shipwrecked, had been lost at sea. He had to be constantly on the move and was in danger from bandits, was in danger from his own countrymen and from Gentiles alike. He's gone without sleep, was cold, naked and hungry.

And as if all that weren't enough, he had enormous concerns for the well-being of the churches.

Then he calls upon God as his witness in verse 31: The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is to be praised forever, knows that I am not lying. In Damascus the governor under King Aretas had the city of the Damascenes guarded in order to arrest me. But I was lowered in a basket from a window in the wall and slipped through his hands.

So we have two more chapters in this letter to the Corinthians. Paul has tried the gentle approach. He has used irony in trying to coax them away from the false teachers. And in this chapter, Paul lays it flat out when he calls these guys "super apostles." And they're lying too. And if you don't believe me, then believe God. Look at all the things I have endured and I'm still kept safe from harm because I go with God and God goes with me.

I hope you're as curious as I am about what Paul is going to say to the Corinthians next, as he closes out this letter.

Does he get sterner or gentler. Will he cast them to the four winds and let Satan have his way with them?

What will Paul do and say?

Discussion:

1. If you were confronted with all that Paul comes up against with the Corinthians, how would you handle the situation?

2. Have you ever had people who interfered with your ability to worship God? If so, what did you do?

3. If you are just beginning your journey with Paul on his missionary trips, are you suprised that he has endured such hardships and even life-threatening situations?

4. Do you make it a special point to include all of the missionaries around the world who are working to bring God's message to unchurched people and people who are unbelievers?

We pray: Oh Lord, our Heavenly Father, I pray that you would bless all those who work in your mission fields. I pray that you would keep them safe from harm and lessen the hardships they endure.

I pray, Oh Lord, that you would bless this study of your Word so that I can grow closer to you.

I pray for all the people in Christian churches around the world who risk their lives to come to you in worship. Please be with them and build a hedge around them so that they will be safe.

I pray for all our military personnel wherever they are stationed. Keep them safe and strong.

And I pray that you would bless these United States with good Christian leadership that is free of corruption and greed and replace those who defile your name. Amen

##

MY LIFE IN INK --

Last spring we said we were glad we didn't live up north because I could start planting tomatoes, petunias, impatiens, etc. about three weeks earlier. And my daffodils were up and blooming by the time their northern cousins had even peeked through the dirt blankets.

This morning I am glad again because I don't even see snow when I look out the window as I type this blog. Up north, my friends are enduring -- and I say enduring because people up north are the tougher variety than us chicken escapees -- a 20" snowfall. Those poor hearty souls in Milwaukee and Madison, Wisconsin, and suburbs on the north side of Chicago. Why I even heard that O'Hare cancelled 1,000 flights.

I can only imagine the horror stories that travelers are going to take back home with them. Forget hotel rooms. They sold out early. Cancelled flights now mean camping out on the cold terrazzo floors with only your purse for a pillow and whatever kind of coat you brought as your blanket. That's where travelers would spend the night after all the cots at O'Hare are loaned out to weary bleary-eyed travelers.

To make matters worse, some of the suburbs have now run out of salt. Probably didn't order all that much because there's been so much left over in the last couple of years.

There's black ice on I-90 and I-55, the two expressways that cut through the north side of the city, and near south side. I'm especially praying that my cousin, Mark Stubbe, will drive safely. He's a sergeant for the Chicago Police Department. But then, he's an expert driver and he knows how to get around in that stuff.

I have a theory about the interstate highway systems creating their own weather patterns. Quint promised me that he'd research that someday. Since he has emeritus status with AAAS and gets Science magazine, he can get into his secret little programs that I don't have passwords to.

It's not that he wouldn't give me his passwords, it's just that my search engines head toward food sites. I'm always looking for a good recipe for something or other. And I especially love the sites that let me print the recipes out in a 3x5 format for the card file.

But we have our own separate laptops so I could look stuff up too instead of whining about it. I know full well how to do research. After all, that's what paralegals do best. But it's been years and years and years since I had my paralegal training. That was back in the times when our computers were hooked up to stone tablets for printing out our research finds.

I am still playing with my bread recipe. I want a yeast bread that will poof up and get that nice round crown on top. The depression bread recipe has a great flavor -- man, is it delicious. But it has a flat top.

So I'm thinking that when I make bread today, I'll put some baking powder in with the dry ingredients, Maybe a tablespoon for each 2 cups of flour. That should give me what's called "the bloom." I'll stick it in the oven at 450 for ten minutes until it "blooms" then lower the temperature to 375 and finish the baking.

Hopefully I will have a nice crown on the bread and it won't look like somebody stepped on the loaf of bread just as it was coming out of the oven. But then, if I get too much "bloom" there will be big puffy air holes in the bread. That wouldn't make good sandwiches either.

Oh well. It's a work in progress.

##

BIBLE STUDY: 2 Corinthians 10:1-18

There are a couple of early points I see in the early verses of this chapter.

The first point is that of the 8th Commandment -- Thou shalt not bear false witness ...

Lying and gossiping are listed in God's Big Ten! Bearing false witness is lying. And we know from the previous chapters of this second letter to the Corinthians that Paul was extremely upset that there were corrupters in the midst of his congregations in Corinth.

These corrupters whispered lies about Paul. The liars said things like Paul lacked real authority as a apostle. In essence, they were calling Paul a wimp. Oh sure, they said, you sure talk a tough game when you're way over there in Macedonia, but when you come back here to Corinth, you'll change your tune. Then we'll see the real Paul who's not such a big fighter after all. (My paraphrase.)

Do these lying, whispering apostles remind you of someone else in the Garden of Eden who said to Adam and Eve, "Are you sure that's what God meant when he said ....?" There he is again, stirring up trouble. This time, Satan is using the tongues of the false prophets trying to turn the hearts of the Corinthians against Paul. 

And this time, as in ages of old, Satan again comes up against the forces of God, the Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ. You'd think he would have learned by this time, wouldn't you? But no. The arrogance and pride that caused Satan's eviction from heaven in the first place was still swelling up his head. Satan actually believed that he could turn the Corinthians against Paul and that Paul wouldn't find out until he came back to Corinth from Macedonia.

But there were people who let Paul know what these false preachers were saying about him. Men who were Paul's fellow workers in the kingdom of God travelled back and forth, taking letters to Paul and getting Paul's responses back to the various churches.
 
So in the first few verses of this chapter, Paul responds: By the meekness and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you -- I, Paul, who am "timid" when face to face with you, but "bold" when away.

I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world.

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world.

On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete. (verses 1-6)

Keep in mind that God puts us where he wants us to be. Only God knows what kind of a corrective life experience he wants each of us to have to get an idea of how we do with the free will he has given to us. God has prepared life challenges for us in advance -- go back and re-read Ephesians 2:10. It's at the top of the home page.

The second point I want to make is that Paul was divinely selected by God through Jesus Christ to be the torch bearer of Christianity.

There was no New Testament for Paul to quote. Well, actually there was because he was writing it. But the Bible as we know it today wasn't in existence when Paul was building up the kingdom of God.

And there were not the prophets like the men whom God has placed in ministry in the Old Testament. Nearest we can come to that kind of prophet was John the Baptist, but Herod had him beheaded before Christ was even crucified.

Now there is Paul. His apostleship is divinely empowered. He most certainly speaks with the authority of God. Because of this, Paul is more than equal to the task of taking on the false apostles who are trying to corrupt his churches in Corinth.

And Paul most certainly knows exactly what to say and at the precise moment that his message needs to be said, because it isn't Paul's thoughts that he's making up. Rather, it is God speaking through Paul. The messages Paul brings come with the perfection of God's voice.

Paul doesn't want to get into any intellectual debate with these corrupters, though I have no doubt in my mind that Paul could run circles of wit around these guys.

No no no. Paul wants to bring the gentle truth of God's love to the Corinthians. Paul wants the truth of the gospel message to continue to penetrate the hearts of all who believe. He says in verses 8-9: For even if I boast somewhat freely about the authority the Lord gave us for building you up rather than pulling you down, I will not be ashamed of it.

I do not want to seem to be trying to frighten you with my letters.

And then Paul reminds them that the false apostles ... should realize that what we are in our letters when we are absent, we will be in our actions when we are present. (verse 11)

Paul sums up this chapter in verses 15b-16a: Our hope is that, as your faith continues to grow, our area of activity among you will greatly expand, so that we can preach the gospel in the regions beyond you.

Some say that this is Paul's earliest "publication" of his intent to travel on to Spain, or Iberia as it was known back then.

But first, he wants to be very sure that the churches in Corinth are on firm footing, for what would be the gain if you start six churches here, then go on to another place and start more churches there, but lose the first churches you started?

No. Paul did not want to lose a single group of believers. These churches belonged to God. They were new believers in the kingdom of God. And false apostles couldn't have them.

For we know in our hearts are sealed in our baptism, we belong to God and that the evil one cannot snatch us out of God's hands.

For discussion:

1. What are some times in your life when you have particularly deep anguish and you've wondered why it is that you seem to be singled out to suffer so?

2. Can you take these times and wrap the experiences around lessons that God wants you to learn from them?

3. What are some other comparisons that you could draw between the false apostles in the churches in Corinth to the devil in the Garden of Eden? How were they similar in the messages they tried to use?

4. When you are confronted with temptations, do you see the work of Satan in your life or do you become angry with a human being whom you think seems to be the cause your anguish?

5. How can you embrace the power of God to restore your life so that your are victorious over your temptations?

We pray: Dear heavenly Father: I pray that you will give me strength to resist the temptations that Satan tries to trip me up with.

I thank you so much for protecting me from all the misguided lies that Satan tries to use on me. I thank you for keeping me safe in the palm of your hand.

I pray for all the times when I find myself teetering on the edge of falling into temptation. For all those times when you have sent your angels to minister to me and catch me when I trip and stumble, I thank you.

I know that life is not perfect and I know that I need to be on guard all the days of my life. I thank you for walking with me. Amen.

##

A LERT ALERT!

For all you lerts out there -- this just in. A tanker truck filled with chocolate has crashed on the inbound Chicago Skyway at about 7100 South. Yum yum. I think the chocolate is okay, thank goodness. I mean -- Valentines Day is coming, you know! There may be some diesel fuel leaking but thank goodness the chocolate is okay.

MY LIFE IN INK --

Our schedule for today is Ash Wednesday services at church and since Quint and I are greeters, we need to be there about fifteen minutes early. You know Lutherans -- we usually get to church in the last five minutes before services begin. So getting there fifteen minutes early gives us time to park the car, get inside, hang up our coats and we're still in the building before anybody else, except Pastor Rensner.

For those of you who live in the Effingham area -- or if you visit someone who lives in this lovely town -- or if you're driving through on I-70/I-57, come on in. You have friends you haven't met yet at Faith Lutheran in Shumway. The church is about 6.5 miles or so west of the interstate conglomeration. That's on Illinois Rte. 33 West. Right after you see the "Welcome to Shumway" sign, be ready to put your turn signals on because you're going to need to turn left into the parking lot. Quint and I will be greeters all during February. After that, some equally friendly people will take their turn.

So let's see -- oh yeah -- yesterday was Super Tuesday. And guess what? Nobody got enough delegates to cinch the nomination for either party. It certainly wasn't a "shoo in" for Hillary like The Inevitable One had originally hoped for.

And Romney didn't get his bid for the Oval Office either. McCain, whose campaign obituary had already been written just a few short months ago, zoomed out to the front. Kind of reminds me of a racehorse with 10 to 1 odds who discovers his legs while coming down the home stretch.

And Huckabee? Well, of course he's saying he's in for the long haul, but then he also said that no one turns down the job of vice president. Translation? That means that Huckabee stays in just long enough to make Romney bow out, then Huckabee will make a deal to team up with McCain. Huckabee seems to be pulling enough votes from Romney to be a real spoiler.

Romney says he has no intention of bowing out and he's got lots of his own money to spend. Romney's wife, on the other hand, is thinking she might just take his blank check away from him.

Don't know if you know this or not, but McCain's wife is a megabucks heiress too.

Chink chink chink

I didn't watch too much of the election returns. I get really exasperated with the news channels calling elections with only a slim number of results in. That just takes the intrigue out of it. So if Fox News calls an election with 12% of the votes counted, I don't need to watch the talking heads for the next two hours count the other 88% of the votes.

I started researching the hierarchy of angels. That's a lot more interesting. I'm going to do some articles about angels as I get good info. I find the whole topic of angels fascinating. One theory has it that we are given our very own guardian angel at birth and that angel travels through our lives with us. Another thought I've read says we can have as many guardian angels as we need. I'm looking for the Bible truth for either one or both of those thoughts. All I know is that I've literally dodged death more than a couple of times in my life so my guardian angel has been very faithful and efficient because I'm still here.

So here's the deal: when we get back from church, I will start working on today's Bible Study. Plus, I've gotten some really cute articles and some funny pieces that some of you have sent to me that I also want to include.

Later --

##

OLD AGE, I DECIDED, IS A GIFT -- from Joyce Cunningham

I am now, probably for the first time in my life, the person I have always wanted to be. Oh, not my body! I sometimes despair over my body, the wrinkles, the baggy eyes, and the sagging butt. And often I am taken aback by that old person that lives in my mirror (who looks like my mother!), but I don't agonize over those things for long.

I would never trade my amazing friends, my wonderful life, my loving family for less gray hair or a flatter belly. As I've aged, I've become more kind to myself, and less critical of myself. I've become my own friend.

I don't chide myself for eating that extra cookie, or for not making my bed, or for buying that silly cement gecko that I didn't need, but looks so avante garde on my patio. I am entitled to a treat, to be messy, to be extravagant.

I have seen too many dear friends leave this world too soon; before they understood teh great freedom that comes with aging.

Whose business is it if I choose to read or play on the computer until 4 a.m. and sleep until noon?

I will dance with myself to those wonderful tunes of the 60s and 70s, and if I, at the same time, wish to weep over a lost love -- I will.

I will walk the beach in a swim suit that is stretched over a bulging body, and will dive into the waves with abandon if I choose to, despite the pitying glances from the jet set. They, too, will get old.

I know I am sometimes forgetful. But there again, some of life is just as well forgotten. And I eventually remember the important things.

Sure, over the years my heart has been broken. How can your heart not break when you lose a loved one, or when a child suffers, or even when somebody's beloved pet gets hit by a car? But broken hearts are what give us strength and understanding and compassion. A heart never broken is pristine and sterile and will never know the joy of being imperfect.

I am so blessed to have lived long enough to have my hair turning gray, and to have my youthful laughs be forever etched into deep grooves on my face. So many have never laughed, and so many have died before their hair could turn silver.

As you get older, it is easier to be positive. You care less about what other people think. I don't question myself anymore. I've even earned the right to be wrong.

So, to answer your question. I like being old. It has set me free. I like the person I have become. I am not going to live forever, but while I am still here, I will not waste time lamenting what could have been, or worrying about what will be. And I shall eat dessert every single day (if I feel like it.)

May our friendship never come apart especially when it's straight from th eheart! May you always have a rainbow of smiles on your face and in your heart forever and ever!

Friends forever!

##

GOD LIVES UNDER THE BED -- from Kathy Brandenburg

I envy Kevin. My brother Kevin thinks God lives under his bed. At least that's what I heard him say one night.

He was praying out loud in his dark bedroom and I stopped to listen, "Are you there, God?" he asked. "Where are you? Oh, I see. Under the bed."

I giggled softly and tiptoed off to my own room. Kevin's unique perspectives are often a source of amusement. But that night something else lingered long after the humor. I realized for the first time the very different world Kevin lives in.

He was born 30 years ago, mentally disabled as a result of difficulties during labor. Apart from his size (he's 6'2"), there are few ways in which he is an adult.

He reasons and communicates with the capabilities of a 7-year-old, and he always will. He will probably always believe that God lives under his bed, that Santa Claus is the one who fills the space under our tree every Christmas and that airplanes stay up in the sky because angels carry them.

I remember wondering if Kevin realizes he is different. Is he ever dissatisfied with his monotonous life?

Up before dawn each day, off to work at a workshop for the disabled, home to walk our cocker spaniel, return to eat his favorite macaroni-and-cheese for dinner, and later to bed.

The only variation in the entire scheme is laundry, when he hovers excitedly over the washing machine like a mother with her newborn child.

He does not seem dissatisfied.

He lopes out to the bus every morning at 7:05, eager for a day of simple work.

He wrings his hands excitedly while the water boils on the stove before dinner, and he stays up late twice a week to gather our dirty laundry for his next day's laundry chores.

And Saturdays -- oh, the bliss of Saturdays! That's the day my Dad takes Kevin to the airport to have a soft drink, watch the planes land, and speculate loudly on teh destination of each passenger inside. "That one's going to Chi-car-go!" Kevin shouts as he claps his hands.

His anticipation is so great he can hardly sleep on Friday nights.

And so goes his world of daily rituals and weekend field trips.

He doesn't know what it means to be discontent.

His life is simple.

He will never know the entanglements of wealth or power, and he does not care what brand of clothing he wears or what kind of food he eats. His needs have always been met, and he never worries that one day they may not be.

His hands are diligent. Kevin is never so happy as when he is working. When he unloads the dishwasher or vacuums the carpet, his heart is completely in it.

He does not shrink from a job when it is begun, and he does not leave a job until it is finished. But when his tasks are done, Kevin knows how to relax.

He is not obsessed with his work or the work of others. His heart is pure.

He still believes everyone tells the truth, promises must be kept, and when you are wrong, you apologize instead of argue.

Free from pride and unconcerned with appearances, Kevin is not afraid to cry when he is hurt, angry or sorry. He is always transparent, always sincere. And he trusts God.

Not confined by intellectual reasoning, when he comes to Christ, he comes as a child. Kevin seems to know God -- to really be friends with Him in a way that is difficult for an "educated" person to grasp. God seems like his closest companion.

In my moiments of doubt and frustrations with my Christianity, I envy the security Kevin has in his simple faith.

It is then that I am most willing to admit that he has some divine knowledge that rises above my mortal questions.

It is then I realize that perhaps he is not the one with the handicap -- I am. My obligations, my fear, my pride, my circumstnces-- they all become disabilities when I do not trust them to God's care.

Who knows if Kevin comprehends things I can never learn? After all, he has spent his whole life in that kind of innocence, praying after dark and soaking up the goodness and love of God.

And one day, when the mysteries of heaven are opened, and we ae all amazed at how close God really is to our hearts, I'll realize that God heard the simple prayers of a boy who believed that God lived under his bed.

Kevin won't be surprised at all!

--

Friends are people who lift us up when our hearts have trouble remember how much God loves us, and how much he has planned for us! Let your heart soar on the wings of his love!

##


BIBLE STUDY: 2 Corinthians 9:1-15

In this chapter, Paul is still reminding the Corinthians that the donations that they had pledged the year before were now "due." In fact, Paul says he's sending the brothers to them to collect these gifts.

Recall that these donations were being raised to take to the poor folks at Jerusalem.

But from the beginning of this chapter, Paul tells the Corinthians that he had been bragging about them and their generosities to the folks at Macedonia. And how enthusiastic the Corinthians were about giving their gifts for the poor.

Then it almost seems like maybe Paul wished he hadn't bragged quite so much. In verse 3, he says: But I am sending the brothers in order that our boasting about you in this matter should not prove hollow, but that you may be ready, as I said you would be.

"Ready?" Well, the Corinthians were supposed to be putting this extra money aside every week for the time when someone came to collect it. So, were the Corinthians ready with the money? Had they been saving it in a separate escrow fund like they were supposed to be doing?

Paul sure hoped so. He explains in verse 4: For if any Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared we -- not to say anything about you -- would be ashamed of having been so confident. So what's Paul saying: Don't embarrass me?

That's why, Paul says, he's sending the brothers ahead of him. The brothers were supposed to urge the Corinthians go make arrangements for their very generous gift. And Paul wanted them to do this willingly, not with an attitude like it would be a bad reflection on them if they didn't follow through on their pledge.

Paul then tells them that they get what they give. That is, if they give sparingly, they will get sparingly. And whoever sows generously will reap generously (verse 6).

So give what you can, but give generously, as you are able, Paul told them.

After all, God loves a cheerful giver. How many times have you ever heard that?

But here's the point: if there ever was any doubt that the Holy Spirit was speaking through Paul, those ideas can be put aside because we hear God giving this message in verses 8-9: And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

As it is written: "He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever."

But not only that, check out these passags in verses 10-11: Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.

You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

Then Paul tells the Corinthians that because of their thanksgiving through their giving so generously, other men will praise God.

In the final two verses of this chapter, Paul gives this last encouragement: ... their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift.

Discussion:

Money pledges are difficult subjects for pastors to approach. In fact, I don't know a single pastor who really likes to give sermons about offerings. But the money isn't for God -- God doesn't need a building. But people need a building so that they can come to worship and praise God. And buildings need to have a roof in good repair. People need something to sit on.

And how can we have all those wonderful fellowship meals if we don't have a kitchen, complete with coffeepots? These are not luxuries -- they are items that people use when they gather in assembly to praise and worship God and give thanks to him for all his blessings, and fellowship with each other.

We are human creatures and we like to have chairs to sit on and pews to sit in. As humans, we like many things that cost money. But if we didn't bring our own thankofferings to God's altar on the weekends, how would other people ever find us if we didn't have a church building?

Why does Paul say that he wants the Corinthians to willingly make their pledged donations good?

What is Paul going to do with the money that he gathers from the churches?

In what way is your offering a testament of your faith in God?

We pray: Dear Heavenly Father, I thank you for all your blessings and for the way that you always care for me and make sure that we have everything I need, when I need it.

You are a gracious God. I pray that I will always remember your gifts to me when I write out that check on Sunday morning. There are so many places in the world where my gifts are needed. Help me be a cheerful giver.

Maybe I can give up that lunch this week. Maybe I can be more frugal with my grocery shopping so that I can share with those people who have little or nothing.

Oh Lord, I ask that you would help me change my "maybes" to "I cans." Amen.

##

MY LIFE IN INK --

Okay, so I'm a wow person. It's kind of like underscoring something for emphasis. So when I saw the stock market had plummeted some $231 this morning, I said, "Wow, what's going on now?"

Could it be that it's Super Tuesday and McCain has already called the race?

Could it be that Hillary is crying again?

Could it be that Huckabee is still "whining" as Romney puts it?

Could it be that Obama's peeps out in California are jumping up and down with glee and caused "that big one" and California really did fall off into the ocean?

Or did one of the networks call the election so we don't even need to bother going to the polls?

Nope. It was none of these things. My trusty husband Quint says that the manufacturing report is down. Stock market does not like news like that! Wow!

Never fear, something else will happen during the week that will bring a happier report and the traders will go north again. America has a $13 trillion economy -- what's the significance of $231?

So I'll bet you can tell I'm not a finance major, can't you?

I made sammies the other night. They're those neat "new" sandwiches that Quiznos is advertising. I made chicken teriyaki sammies because I had the pecan crusted chicken that I had fried a month or so ago (love my deep freeze). Two minutes in the microwave and it was ready to cut off the bone. And a mixture of teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, (2 cups total), some liquid smoke (no kitchen/food lab should be without it), a couple of sprinkles of hot sauce and corn starch. When I'm making a little sauce like this, I use a teaspoon of cornstarch to every cup of liquid. If you want a thicker sauce, use just a tad more cornstarch, but don't do too much more or you will end up with a paste. I kid you not. Try to stir your chicken around in that!

Okay, so now you've got mechanically separated chicken pieces (your knife is a hand-held machine). Cut the chicken into little bite size pieces and stir them around in your yummy teriyaki sauce.

Then, the absolutely easiest way to get the sammies is to get some pizza dough in the refrigerator case if you don't want to take the time to make a yeast dough from scratch. Roll out the dough and cut it into squares. The size of the square will depend on several things -- 1.) how many people you are feeding and 2.) how many rolls of dough you bought.

I think I ended up with something like an 8" square and it was too big. Next time I'm going to make a 6" square. Of course, the sammies are circles but I don't have a cookie cutter that's 6" in diameter and I am not going to cut circles out with a knife around a little plate. So my sammies looked like triangles after I folded the square over itself.

Okay, so now you've got the dough out of that rollup container. And you've put it out on a floured surface. It will probably be easier to cut the tube of dough in half because you're going to roll out the dough to a thickness of about 1/4" or so. Then cut it into squares. Put the squares on a cookie sheet that's been sprayed with one of those oil sprays. Then spoon your sandwich filling mixture onto the squares. Don't put much sauce on the dough. It can be used as a dipping sauce at the table but you don't want to make your sammie dough soggy while it's baking. Spread the mixture out almost to the edges of the squares. Then bake them. See what the baking instructions on your dough calls for. You did save that cover wrapper, didn't you?

I baked mine for about 15 minutes -- but I used some bread dough that I saved just for the cute little sammies. Next time, I'll lower the temperature to about 375 degrees and bake them 25 minutes. After they're done baking, then fold them in half, making a triangle. Stick them with a toothpick to make them behave and stay folded up like they're supposed to.

Oh my goodness! It is so good. The flavors completely invade your mouth.

My next sammie adventure is going to be corned beef with sauerkraut. Then when I take the sammies out of the oven, I'll pile shredded swiss cheese on them and fold them up. It will be a Reuben Sammie. Wow! But just think of all the possibilities!

Well I got a lot of comments about my description of shrimps from yesterday's blog. I'm glad the Shrimp Council of America didn't read the blog. I don't know what I'd do if a big truck showed up on my doorstep with about a half ton of shrimp for me to "try."

I think I'd call every nursing home in the area and have them come over and help themselves. Then I'd see if there was any room left in the deep freeze at church. I'd be only too willing to give away the bounty to my friends -- as long as they took it and ate it and didn't make me eat any. I have no doubt that there are a lot of people who dearly love the little critters -- I'm just not one of them. Meat loaf is my absolute favorite dish. Guess there's no accounting for taste, huh? (Incidentally, I don't like escargot either.)

Well, today's Super Tuesday. We're going out to vote here in a little while. I hope you will be voting too.

And for all you silly people who aren't going to vote because you don't like the choices your party has given you on this brilliantly cloudy primary election day, shame on you! But wait. On second thought, if you're a democrat and you can't see yourself voting for either one of your candidates over on that side of the fence, feel free to jump on over here. Some of our best republicans used to be democrats.

And for the people who are curious about how Quint and I vote, I will give you a hint: we believe that life begins at conception and we will not vote for anyone who does not believe in the sanctity of life. We are Pro-Life. That means that babies are people too whether they've been borne yet or not. 

Pro-Choice people are Pro-Abortion people. End of story. And when Christ comes back to earth and sees the mountains of unborn babies that were aborted, I'll just bet that one of the first questions he's going to ask is, "Who killed my babies?"

##

A CAT GOES TO HEAVEN -- from Antoinette Oberheu

A cat died and went to heaven. God met her at the gates and said, "You have been a good cat all these years. Anything you want is yours for the asking."

The cat thought for a minute and then said, "All my life I lived on a farm and slept on hard wooden floors. I would like a real fluffy pillow to sleep on."

God said, "Say no more." Instantly the cat had a huge fluffy pillow.

A few days later, six mice were killed in an accident and they all went to heaven together. God met the mice at the gates with the same offer that he made to the cat.

The mice said, "Well, we have had to run all of our lives -- from cats, dogs, and even people with brooms! If we could just have some little roller skates, we would not have to run again."

God answered, "It is done." All the mice immediately had beautiful little roller skates.

About a week later, God decided to check on the cat. He found her sound asleep on her fluffy pillow. God gently awakened the cat and asked, "Is everything okay? How have you been doing? Are you happy?"

The cat replied, "Oh, it is wonderful. I have never been so happy in my life. The pillow is so fluffy, and those little Meals on Wheels you have been sending over are delicious!"

##

SOMETIMES -- from J. Mark Stubbe

Sometimes in life, you find a special friend;
Someone who changes your life
just by being part of it.
Someone who makes you laugh
until you can't stop;
Someone who makes you believe
that there really is good in the world.
Someone who convinces you
that there really is an unlocked door
just waiting for you to open it.

This is Forever Friendship.
This is the sacred Red Rose!

##

DIFFERENT DRUG PROBLEM -- from Alice Stubbe

The other day, someone at a store in our town read that a methamphetamine lab had been found in an old farmhouse in the adjoining county and he asked me a rhetorical question, "Why didn't we have a drug problem when you and I were growing up?"

I replied that I had a drug problem when I was young: I was drug to church on Sunday morning. I was drug to church for weddings and funerals. I was drug to family reunions and community socials no matter what the weather.

I was drug by my ears when I was disrespectful to adults. I was also drug to the woodshed when I disobeyed my parents, told a lie, brought home a bad report card, did not speak with respect, spoke ill of the teacher or the preacher, or if I didn't put forth my best effort in everything that was asked of me.

I was drug to the kitchen sink to have my mouth washed out with soap if I uttered a profanity. I was drug out to pull weeds in mom's garden and flower beds adn cockleburs out of dad's fields. I was drug to the homes of family, friends and neighbors to help out some poor soul who had no one to mow the yard, repair the clothesline, or chop some firewood, and, if my mother had every know that I took a single dime as a tip for this kindness, she would have drug me back to the woodshed.

Those drugs are still in my veins and they affect my behavior in everything I do, say, or think. They are stronger than cocaine, crack, or heroin; and, if today's children had this kind of drug problem, America would be a better place.

God bless the parents who drugged us.

-- submitted by a concerned citizen

##

I'LL BE HAPPY WHEN -- from Antoinette Oberheu

We convince ourselves that life will be better after we get married, have a baby, then another.

Then we are frustrated that the kids aren't old enough and we'll be more content when they. After that, we're frustrated that we have teenagers to deal with.

We will certainly be happy when they are out of that stage. We tell ourselves that our life will be complete when our spouse gets his or her act together, when we get a nicer car, when we are able to go on a nice vacation or when we retire.

The truth is, there is no better time to be happy than right now. If not now, when?

Your life will always be filled with challenges.

It's best to admit this to yourself and decide to be happy anyway. Happiness is the way.

So, treasure every moment that you have and treasure it more because you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time with...and remember that time waits for no one.

So, stop waiting
Until your car or home is paid off.
Until you get a new car or home.
Until your kids leave the house.
Until you go back to school.
Until you finish school.
Until you lose 10 pounds.
Until you gain 10 pounds.
Until you get married.
Until you get a divorce.
Until you have kids.
Until you retire.
Until summer.
Until spring.
Until winter.
Until fall.
Until you die.

There is no better time than right now to be happy. Happiness is a journey, not a destination. So work like you don't need money, love like you've never been hurt, and dance like no one's watching.

##


BIBLE STUDY: 2 Corinthians 8:1-24

http://www.middletownbiblechurch.org/ainacts/ainact9.htm

The above link brings you an excellent map of Macedonia, or Greece as we know it today. Paul is here in Macedonia when he writes to the churches in Corinth. a town about 55 miles west of Athens. Macedonia was one of three administrative districts in Greece.

As Paul opens this part of his letter to the Corinthians, he them to know about the richness of the Macedonian churches' generosity -- even though they experienced severe trials and extreme poverty.

In verses 3-5, Paul writes: For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints. And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God's will.

This theme of a Christian's life becomes central to Paul, as well as to other apostles. This theme is "Good trees bear good fruit." Paul wanted the Corinthians to know -- and he wants us to know in our own modern age -- that because of God's grace, how we live our lives changes. Because of God's grace, our attitudes change. It is God's grace that makes the difference.

Paul says "So we urged Titus, since had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part." (verse 6)

Oh, you bet. Paul wanted the Corinthians to realize that their donations ought to be considered an act of grace, because they enjoyed God's grace. After all, the Corinthians excelled in everything they did, whether it was evidencing their faith, or their speech, or in their knowledge, or in the total and complete earnestness through which they showed their love for Paul and his fellow missionaries. Now, Paul says, "...see that you also excel in this grace of giving." (verse 7b)

Well, Paul is not exactly commanding the Corinthians -- but it's a test. He wants to see just how sincere their love is by comparing their giving to the churches in Macedonia.

Apparently, the churches in Macedonia were poor. The churches in Corinth were not. Corinth, remember, was a pretty sophisticated place to be. It was elegant. It has some pretty fancy gardens. Lots of good food. Corinth was a splendid place to be. It was lively.

Corinth was a relatively old colony. It enjoyed a successful trade with bronze and pottery. Its colonial history dated all the way back to 404 B.C. until the Romans came along and destroyed the city in 146 B.C. -- but then Julius Caesar took it upon himself to restore the city in 46 B.C. From that time, it grew rapidly and actually became the capital of Achaia and the seat of the Roman proconsul.  

One Greek proverb says "See Corinth and die" -- meaning that after you see Corinth, there's nothing left worth seeing in all the world. Must have been someone from the Corinth Chamber of Commerce, don't you think?

These were not poor people. And Paul wanted to make sure that they knew that he would be holding them accountable for being at least as generous in their giving as the churches in Macedonia. He then writes: "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich."

Paul reminds the Corinthians that this is what's best for them (verses 10-12): And here is my advice about what is bet for you in this matter: Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so.

Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means.

For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.

Here Paul is saying it's the willingness to give that makes charity a gracious gift of love. It's not unlike the story in Mark about the widow's mite (Mark 12:41-44). Jesus says in verses 43-44: I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything -- all she had to live on.

Interesting that Paul and Mark should come up with a common theme in the graciousness of the spirit of giving. And we know that Paul and Mark knew each other so they most likely had many shared conversations about this topic.

Then Paul tells the Corinthians that Titus is coming back to them to finish the appeal for funds that he had begun the previous year. And Paul wants the Corinthians to know that this is Titus' idea, not Paul's. Not only that, but one of the brothers is coming with Titus. It's the brother who is praised by all the churches for his service to the gospel.

Not only that, but this same brother was chosen to go with Paul and his group when they carried these offerings which they administer in order to honor the Lord himself and to show our eagerness to help (verse 19).

Paul doesn't name this brother but a footnote from my Concordia Study Bible (page 1784) says this could be Luke, or Barnabas.

The point is, Paul was giving the Corinthians an example of how important it is to properly handle the funds of the churches.

In our own day and age, we could say that good accounting principles require that there be at least two people counting the church receipts. Better to have three or four just to remove any temptations that the devil would lead people into. That way, the whole matter is above reproach from anyone who would bear false witness against anyone.

Paul explains further: We want to avoid any criticism of the way we administer this liberal gift. For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of men. (verses 20-21)

Then Paul wants to make sure that the Corinthians understand that Titus and the brothers are coming to them not only as partners and fellow workers but also as representatives of the churches and an honor to Christ.

Paul wants the men to be revered for their outstanding faithfulness.

For discussion:

How does this chapter resonate with your own giving? Does it come up to the 10% tithe that is referenced so many times in the Bible?

Sometimes we use the word "tithe" to be synonymous to an offering but in truth, tithe means 10% of the first fruits. That is, pre-tax income.

Can you image how much we could do with mission and outreach work if churches had 10% to work with? I would challenge you figure out what your title ought to be, then take what you are actually bringing to your congregation's budget, and add to this amount regularly until you reach a full tithe.

We had friends who were pretty hefty tithers -- in fact, I'd call them "super tithers" because they gave more than 10%. One evening at a church dinner, we were sitting next to this couple and the subject of tithing came up. The gentleman, who was a very successful businessman in our town, said that he couldn't afford not to tithe. When he started tithing, the success of his business took off like a rocket and ever since, he'd been giving as God had blessed and prospered him. That was when we started adding a couple of bucks to our offering each month until it reached a tithe. And we now echo this gentleman's sentiment. We can't afford not to.

Can you see where tithing is an act of faith? Even if you think you can't afford to tithe?

We pray: Oh Lord, I thank you for your grace and for taking care of us. I thank you for your love. I pray that you would open our hearts so that we could be even more generous with all that you have given to prosper us. Help me to remember that all gifts come from you, and that they are gifts you have given us to share. Amen.

##

MY LIFE IN INK --

It is a foggy, foggy day here in the moors of Effingham! I can't even see the back of the back yard all that well. Just a vague outline of some tree skeletons back there.

Quint says it's the cold coming up out of the ground. So begone with you, Creepy Cold. You're scaring my dirt. And besides, there are daffodils planted under there.

Quint went out shopping. He drowned the coffee pot this morning. When I got up he was in the kitchen wiping down the counter top, and the front of the cabinets, and the coffee pot was upside down in one of the sink basins. He mumbled something about accidentally using two coffee filters and the whole thing overflowed and probably got down into the heating element. When he got everything cleaned up and wiped down, the silly thing still wouldn't cook our morning coffee.

Fortunately we had a couple of cups left from yesterday, but after they were gone, things got desperate. We're coffee drinkers. Always have been. And we make our coffee "firehouse strong," as one of my fireman clients used to tell us. He always enjoyed a cup of coffee when he came in for his sessions.

Anyway, we've never particularly espoused to all those scare tactics about coffee being all that bad for people. My grandmother, bless her heart, enjoyed her coffee up until the day she died at the ripe age of 88 years.

And then there was that research done a couple of years ago that tied coffee deprivation to a higher incidence of depression. So I figure that God made the coffee bean. He must have had something in mind and we're only too happy to enjoy our morning coffee with him every day.

But I'm not so sure about shrimp. They look too much like bug butts. Can't eat 'em. But then, John the Baptist existed on honey and locusts when he was out there on the desert trails. Do you suppose locusts taste like shrimp? I'll just bet they do, which is another reason why I'm not eating any shrimpies.

Or snake burgers. Or alligator parts. I'll leave those little dishes to people who are a lot more gourmetish than I am, thank you very much.

##

BIBLE STUDY: 2 Corinthians 7:1-16

This chapter brings another of Paul's profound truths. It's found in verse 10: Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation.

As this chapter opens, it seems as if Paul is battling for credibility. Possibly the false teachers have started spreading the rumor that Paul has not been telling the truth -- that Paul is a fraud.

Paul gets word from travelers of what is going on in Corinth and his response is a blistering defense (verse 2): We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have exploited no one.

Having said that, Paul quickly adds a comforting note to assure the Corinthians that his anger rests on the shoulder of the person who has accused him (verses 3-4): I do not say this to condemn you; I have said before that you have such a place in our hearts that we would live or die with you. I have great confidence in you; I take great pride in you. I am greatly encouraged; in all our troubles my joy knows no bounds.

And remember Titus? Paul wanted to see Titus in Troas, but Titus was not able to meet Paul there. So Paul heads on over to Macedonia where, lo and behold, Titus is able to join him.

And the good news that Titus brings from Corinth fills Paul's heart with joy. Titus brings Paul all the news from Corinth (verse 7b): He told us about your longing for me, your deep sorrow, your ardent concern for me, so that my joy was greater than ever.

It seems to me that this passage says that Paul is able to reconcile any upset he may have with the church at Corinth and lay this upset at the feet of the false teachers who were trying to undo Paul's work. Paul was genuinely joyful that the Corinthians still wanted to be a part of Paul's ministry and that they, in fact, still loved Paul and were concerned about his well being.

Then Paul seems to take a rather parental stance -- those of you who are parents will know what I mean -- it's like when you discipline an errant child, then feel like perhaps your discipline seemed a bit too harsh -- so you come back to explain to the child that it was for their "own good."

Well, no matter how well intentioned that may be, children just do not have the capacity to understand that something that is as hurtful to them as discipline could possibly ever be for their own good.

But Paul says it anyway in verses 8-9: Even if I caused you sorrow by my letters, I do not regret it.

Though I did regret it -- I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while -- yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance.

For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us.

So this is what Paul would liken to "Godly sorrow" that I mentioned at the beginning of today's study. He says it's the kind of sorrow that leads to salvation.

On the other hand, Paul says Godly sorrow is different from the "worldly sorrow" that brings death. 

Worldly sorrow comes up out of a concern for being caught. It doesn't lead to being sorry for whatever was done. It's too self-centered, or narcissistic, to be repentant. Keep in mind that there's an element of entitlement in worldly sorrow. That is, people do what they know is wrong, or sinful, but somehow, they've wrapped this feeling of entitlement around their sin so that they can justify deserving what they want. 

And before they know it, this feeling of entitlement has brought them to sin.

God does not like that.

But Godly sorrow, on the other hand, brought out a lot of earnestness from the Corinthians. And other feelings are listed in verse 11: eagerness to clear yourselves, indignation, alarm, longing, concern, readiness to see justice done. 

At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter.

Then Paul gets back to his letter to the Corinthians in verses 12-13: So even though I wrote to you, it was not on account of the one who did the wrong or of the injured party, but rather that before God you could see for yourselves how devoted to us you are. By all this we are encouraged.

Paul closes this chapter by telling the Corinthians how happy he is that treated Titus so well. Paul kind of admits that Titus wondered if they would really like him or if they were just being nice to him because Paul told him they ought to be.

Now, based on what Titus has to tell of the Corinthians, Titus figures that their affection for him was real, and not just because they were assigned to be nice by Paul.

That pleases Paul a lot. He says, then, in verse 16: I am glad I can have complete confidence in you.

For discussion:

1. Have you ever considered that there's a difference between Godly sorrow and worldly sorrow? 

I will admit that, even though I have read Corinthians before, this differentiation in the types of sorrow didn't jump off the page to me as it did this time. 

And perhaps as a parent, when I realized that I too had been too harsh with my children, I wanted to "soften the blow," so that they would not doubt my love for them.

Do you suppose that God thinks of his believers in this way also? He did send his son Jesus Christ to die for our sins because he loves us so much.

In your discussion of this chapter, talk about God as the parent and us as his children, for we know that we become heirs to the kingdom. What are some of the ways that you think God has disciplined you as a loving father?

We pray: Dear Heavenly Father, I come to you filled with sorrow for all my sins. 

I bring to you a repentant heart that is filled with contrition for all the wrongs that I have done and for what I continue to do, even though I don't want to do anything wrong.

I pray that you will forgive me anew. I pray that you will send your Holy Spirit to be with me to guide me so that I can cross over temptations that threaten to bring me only to a fake worldly sorrow. 

I pray that your Holy Spirit will come into my heart and clean out all those places where my own ego causes me to build up big phony cases of why and how I deserve to think thoughts that you don't want me to think. Cleanse my heart, Oh Lord, and bring me to you with a contrite heart. Amen.

##

MY LIFE IN INK --

We only have 4-1/2 inches of snow here in the middle of the state. The situation doesn't look all that great up north, though.

Our good friend, Patti, shoveled her little heart out and it's still coming down.

So, may I be the first to welcome you to February! And tomorrow is the Big Rat Day -- otherwise known as Groundhog Day. No matter what he does, spring is only six weeks away. Count the days from February 2 to March 21! Spring's a'comin!

It will be up to 59 degrees by next week. And starting tomorrow, the temperatures are going to get up above freezing and stay that way until next December. Well, maybe during the day.

Quint checked his daily journal and reported that I was transplanting petunias on April 20 of last year. Hopefully I can do the same this year, plus tomatoes in my garden. It's been rototilled and the ground is just sitting there grinning at me when I look out my kitchen window.
 
Quint went out this morning and cleaned off his bird feeder. He really worries when his little darlings can't get at their chow.

We're going to brave the elements and head out later this morning. Quint says he's seen the snowplow come down our street three times since he got up at 6:30 this morning. That means, by his deductive logic, that the streets are in good shape all over town. I guess our snowbound days are over.

And since he's never wrong, it will be a great opportunity to go back to Wal-Mart and get more yarn. I finished all the tie-backs for the curtains in the living room and dining room. Now I've decided to make a table runner to match the tie-backs.

We may as well go on over to the mall this afternoon and walk some too. Walking every day helps keep our creaking old bones limbered up. I can really notice it when we skip a day or two. Plus, the weight starts creeping back on -- like about a half pound every few days. Now, we don't set any land speed records but we do get our two miles in. Apparently it counts.

We reward ourselves when we're done walking with a cup of fresh brewed coffee at the little shop in the mall. We also watch Fox News on their TV that's in the window of the shop. It's our cool down part of the walk.

##

BIBLE STUDY: 2 Corinthians 6:1-18

The early verses in this chapter strike a chord with the worshipers at Corinth. Paul has been talking about the resurrection. Paul tells them about how their belief in this resurrection and faith in Christ's resurrection brings them a new eternal life after their earthly life is done with.

Like the "jars of clay," their outer body is no longer needed, because the read treasure is what is inside the clay jars. It is this inner treasure that goes home to heaven to be with Christ.

And the tent that is like an outer covering, also likened to the physical body because the "tent" is like the house that the soul lives in while the person is alive on earth.

Okay, so it looks like the Corinthians got that. They understood the metaphors that Paul was using. They believed that their bodies would die one day but that their soul lived on and they believed in the resurrection, for just as Christ rose from the dead, so they would also. Someday.

But then, in their quiet moments, they thought of other "for instances."

It happens to all of us. The Corinthians were no different. 

So, for instance, what happens to all of the people who lived a long time ago? What about those devout followers of the true God? They died, for instance, before Christ came to earth to die for our sins and they died before Christ was resurrected from the dead. What happens to them when Christ comes back to earth for the second time to gather his followers.

For instance, if those people never had the opportunity to follow Christ, what happens to them when Christ comes back?

It's a fair question. And I'll just bet that Paul was eternally grateful that he had been gifted with the Holy Spirit for counsel in answering these kinds of questions.

So Paul starts off this chapter with this admonition: As God's fellow workers we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain. For he says, "In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you." I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation. (verses 1-2)

What did Paul mean when he was talking about not receiving God's grace in vain? All we need to do is backtrack just a few verses to Chapter 5:15 and re-read: And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

Basically, then, the message I get from those passages in Chapter 5 and Chapter 6 is that we are all here to build God's kingdom -- to live for Christ. We build God's kingdom in many, many ways. We bring our children to the Lord early in their young lives. We read the stories of Jesus to our children when they are youngsters. We love our children with all our hearts and honor them for the gifts they are from God. They enrich our lives and bring us joy.

We go to church on our sabbath days to worship God. We share what we believe with people who want to know more about God and Christ.

We support our missionaries in faraway places, even if it's only a few bucks a month or so. If a couple million believers sent just $2 to the missions, what a blessing of growth that would be. And it's not just worship places in faraway countries.

We have opportunities aplenty right here at home to keep the roof on our church buildings so that our houses of worship are always ready to receive and develop faith in people who are searching for God.

We live for Christ after we have received God's grace. And Paul says that if we do not live for Christ, then we have received God's grace in vain.

Paul talks about now being the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation. We are living in this age of God's grace -- this time that is in between Christ's first coming and the promised second coming. Now is the time for us to receive the promised grace from God.

It's right there -- at the tip of our fingers, ready for us to close our palms around it and bring it to our breast. God's grace -- take it and live with it. Its time has come for us to put God's grace into our hearts. God's grace is a healing balm that soothes all the woundings we have ever experienced in our lives.

God's grace is the powerful weapon of righteousness.

But Paul is concerned that he lead a life that is as close to purity as is humanly possible. He does not want to do one single thing that would offend anybody -- or discredit the message that comes through him from the Holy Spirit. He gives us a rather long list of his human experiences in verses 3-10.

I urge you to read this list. It is his underscore of what he's endured. All the hardships and the beatings. Even imprisonments. He's literally walked through riots and come out the other side still alive.

He says he's endured sleepless nights. Why would he be anxious, do you suppose? At least, anxious enough to keep awake at nights. Do you think he feared that he wasn't doing enough fast enough to grow God's kingdom?

Paul couldn't wait to be on the road again. He wanted to go to the ends of the earth to share the gospel message. Paul was on fire for Christ! His missionary journeys blazed a path through the middle east, around Palestine, across the waters to Greece, then back through Turkey, then back to Jerusalem, then back again. All around. Thousands of miles for Christ.

Would you do that? How often do you witness your faith in Christ? How has your faith changed your life? It has changed your life, hasn't it?

Paul says he has endured hunger. He says he lives his live in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God, with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, yet possessing everything.

Wow! When I think of the creature comforts I have and the things I don't have to endure, like Paul did, I am humbled by just how little I do.

And then Paul assures the Corinthians that he loves them most dearly, even if their hearts are being turned away from Paul by these false apostles. Paul says he has opened his hearts wide to the Corinthians. Never did he withhold his affection from them even if they did to him.

Then he tells them that it would be a fair exchange if they opened their hearts to him like he has to them and that he speaks to them as if they were his children.

Watch out for liars, Paul warns them. In verses 14-16b: Do not be yoked together with unbelievers.

For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common?

Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?

What harmony is there between Christ and Belial?

What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?

What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols?

(Belial is a Hebrew word for Satan.)

This is a long, definitive list of comparisons/contrasts. Seems to be the comparisons between good and evil.

Remember Paul comments in the last chapter about reconciliations. Now comes this list from Paul with polarities that do not get reconciled.

In verses 16b-18, we read: For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people."

Therefore come out from them and be separate," says the Lord.

"Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you."

"I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters."

This is the promise of our Lord -- that he will be a Father to us and we are his sons and daughters. And what does a Father do for his children? He builds a place for them to live. So when we die, our soul goes to heaven and we live with God, our Heavenly Father, for he has promised that we are his sons and daughters.

In this age of grace that we are living in, we are given this promise. It is the same promise that the ancestors of old, back in the Old Testament times, could only glimpse from afar. They knew and believed that Christ was coming to earth to save all mankind from sin. The prophets promised this truth time and time again.

But Christ on earth wasn't a reality for them yet. No one saw Christ's crucifixion or his resurrection, yet they believed. And because they believed, they became sons and daughters of our Lord in heaven.

This was the powerful, powerful message that Paul brought to the Corinthians, and he brings to all who read God's Word today. It is the message from the Holy Spirit that gets written anew on our hearts every day.

Make your Bible search a daily pleasure.

Discussion points:

1. See how many different ways you can list that you live in Christ. Keep in mind that there are things you can do that would make a big difference in the lives of others that may seem small and insignificant to you. Do them anyway.

2. Are you reluctant or bashful about sharing your faith with others? Or are you on fire like Paul was? If you don't have as burning a fire as Paul did, what would it take to kindle that ability in you? At least most of us are all living in a time and place where people know who Christ is.

I realize, though, that some of you are not. And I pray for you every day. To our readers in Nigeria and in Iran and on other continents, I pray for your safety as you share the gospel message of Christ to people who do not know him.

I thank God for the Internet that brings you to this Bible Study.

Thank you all for joining us. I am going to put a link here again for a Bible translation that you can go to while you read these studies:

http://www.biblegateway.com/versions/index.php?action=getVersionInfo&vid=47

The Bible is at this site, chapter by chapter. All the books of the Bible. And each chapter can be downloaded.

Permission is granted to all who want to download these pages for your own Bible Studies.. I just ask that you include a link back to this site.

We pray:

Dear Heavenly Father: I pray that you would equip me to be more sharing and bolder in approaching others who need to hear your gospel message. I pray that you would make me more like Paul, even in the face of dangers for those people around the world who are not always safe in doing this.

I thank you, Lord, that I live in a country where I can worship you freely. Help me, embolden me, take away my shyness so that I can speak up for your message of salvation. It is not fair that I keep this message all to myself. It is not right that I leave this task for others to do for you have also gifted me with the Holy Spirit to speak your truth.

I pray that you will bless all who are stopping by here today. Embrace them with your love and keep them safe.

I thank you that you have gifted me with the skill to put thoughts into words and I pray that your message will continue to reach many around the world through this Bible Study. Amen.

##