I Gotta Outgo

So I went to Starbucks yesterday morning (after I went running and saw two pretty white horsies off in the distance.) to try out my wireless internet card thing (which I can't get to work with my computer anywhere except for at the school because my explorer is set to work for the school network and I dont know how to change it). And I noticed that the barista guy was way outgoing and friendly and upbeat, the way I should be at Central Market. And yesterday at work I got my performance review thing (and a raise) and was reminded that I need to engage the customers (talk to them).

I'm really working on the whole not caring a lot about what other people think of me. It holds me back from doing a lot of things. I'm afraid of looking dumb because I don't already know everything about everything. I thought I had more of a point to this post, but that's all I'm writing.

Cover a Multitude

I keep being reminded that I need to tell people not to sin, and that when I see people sinning, I should tell them to stop. But it's kinda uncomfortable when some of the things I believe are sins other people don't think are sins. It's tough enough when we both agree that what they're doing is wrong. But then when it will lead to a debate about scripture and whether this is right or wrong and why have they never even heard this before. So I've pretty much kept my mouth shut, except for on my blogs and when people ask me about what I believe. Still I'm torn, because I know there's a better way. But I'm not doing everything right. I feel like I have to stop sinning completely before I can tell anyone else what is right or wrong. So I wait for them to open the door. When they realize that I believe a bit differently they ask questions at the beginning. But then they stop. It's like they want to know sorta what I believe, but not why. I prefer the debating to the apathy; not because I have a desire to argue, but because it shows that they care; and the Bible as our standard for faith and practice is something we should care about.

John the Baptist got the whole scoop on what I believe a couple weeks ago at work. He drilled me in between customers. And we even moved on to the debate portion. But he hasn't talked about it since. He just resumed quizzing me about the Bible as he had before, i.e. what's John 17 about? He did quite a few yesterday. He would just say a chapter, and I would tell him the subject. He did it, in his words, "to see if he knows what he thinks he knows." He is impressed that I know the Bible pretty well, because so many people don't. He said he's gonna start quizzing me on the Old Testament now. He says he knows it better than the New. We'll see what happens.

Plan B

"We are the all singing all dancing crap of the world" We can preach, we can teach, we can love. We sow seed, we water. The person will either grow in God or fall away. Give up trying to change people. A teenager's life appears to be transformed and a few years later she falls back into worse despair than she was in before. A girl's prayer request every day for years is that her daddy will get saved; he comes to church and everyone rejoices; but the family is still not perfect, and years later she's shacked up with a guy who's nothing but trouble. The youth pastor's pet is a pervert. The pastor's kid is a pot-head. Teach good doctrine, teach the best doctrine you know, people will believe what they want. You can live in an area where there are 8 churches within 3 blocks and over 20 good size churches within a mile radius and still be living in the biggest dope dealing complex in south Dallas. Of course probably very few of the churches have any sound biblical teaching. Motivational speakers seem to be replacing pastors. Are church families too disconnected and dysfunctional? Shouldn't someone have seen the warning signs? What is a shepherd for, anyways?! When your church building looks like a football stadium it's probably kinda hard to keep track of all the sheep (and more than a few goats and wolves surely blend into the flock as well).

This life is supposed to be more than just waiting to get to heaven. It's more than handing out tickets for people to wait in line for heaven. I can't change anybody's mind. I can't change anybody period. Someday I'll give up trying. Then I'll be who I'm supposed to be.

The Kingdom of God

In Numbers 25, Phinechas, Aaron's grandson, thrusts a spear through a couple of fornicating idolators. God praises him for being zealous/jealous for God's honor, and stopping God's wrath. Yet even with God's wrath halted, 24,000 people had died.

The Kingdom of God. God as King. Rebellion against a king is treason and deserving of death. God had a lot of people killed in the days of Moses, Joshua, and the Judges. He used natural disasters, plagues and people to wipe out lots of people. In the prophets we see that God would use nations to punish nations.

I believe God is still the same. He can use war and nature for his own good and just purposes. Everybody dies sometime. God can decide when and how. I think we miss some of the messages he is sending by means of wrath, because we like to think that he's not like that anymore. When terrible things happen I think we should point the finger at God and ask "Why?" He might have an answer that we should listen to.

"Hear O Israel, YHVH our God, YHVH is one. Blessed be the Name of his Glorious Kingdom for all eternity." It is recited three times a day by observant Jews. In doing so, they are to be accepting God's reign in their lives. Agreeing to live as obedient servants to YHVH their King.

"The Kingdom of God is within you." Am I in my mind a slave to God's law? Am I still in my flesh a slave to sin? Am I trying to serve two masters?

With my mouth and my heart I pledge allegiance to God alone. The blood of patriots (and rebels) may give us a temporary superficial freedom, but the blood of Messiah gives us true freedom.

YHVH Nissi. The LORD is my Banner. (anybody remember the childrens church song "his banner over me is love"?)

Cuz this is just crazy!

read more about the picture here.

read more of what I've written about the Shema (Hear O Israel) here, here, here, and here.

5th of July

In case you were wondering, I had a good 4th. I got up before 6 am. and went to work at 7:15. I got off at 1:30 and went home and had a nice afternoon of quiet time. I called my mom and told her happy birthday. I spent the evening with Joy. You can read about the fireworks and stuff in her post, cuz she wrote so wonderfully and I gotta go. I just paid a bunch of bills. Yippee!