The Better Part, week #51

 

I know I talked about cutting this off after the first of the year, but I couldn't hardly read this...

Col 4:17  And say to Archippus, "See that you fulfill the ministry that you have received in the Lord."

...and quit the next week, could I?  Here's this week's FB posts:

The Better Part, Day #243:

 

Today, a bit about signs and promises. Just now, I was looking at the various devotionals I get in my inbox each day, and there was a pattern- a message about God's promises. In the midst of the second one, my anti-virus tried to tell me that the click-through to the full devotional on the e-mail was to a site that "might be dangerous". I think it was just reacting to the change from secure one way e-mail to a site with opportunities to listen, donate, etc.

 

But for me, it was a sign- "Satan is trying to distract you from the point- a point that either I or one of you needed tonight. " And that point was, that the last book of the Old Testament, Malachi, ended with powerful promises- and the first of the New Testament, Matthew, opens with a (yawn) genealogy. But that genealogy was the most powerful promise of all- a promise kept over millennia, through generations. A promise we share in, just as much as all those names on Matthew's list. Not all promises are flamboyant- and, it seems, the 'quieter' they are, the more powerful they become.

 

 

 

The Better Part, day #244:

 

I have been listening to a "Bible answer" show now and then, about which I have a few problems with some of the answers. My old nature keeps telling me, "They are wrong, you are right, you should expose them being wrong, just turn them off", etc, etc. But you know what? That old nature's problem with "respectfully disagreeing" has rarely been tested the other way. How would I react if I was the one "being exposed?" I know how the old nature would do it; my blog is pockmarked with examples in the comment sections on controversial topics.

 

Old nature would melt down. Thus, my current 'disagreements', right or wrong, tell me one thing: I need to pray about having that good defense of my faith. Good, not only meaning correct, and well thought out, but prayed over and respectful.

 

 

 

The Better Part, Day #245:

 

For those who think we evangelicals "worship the Bible" (you know who you are), think on this. When the exiles returned from Babylon and Ezra read the books of the Law (i.e. the early form of the Bible), the first reaction after tears was to ask Ezra why it was that the Festival of Booths wasn't being celebrated, and could they do it now? The Feast of Booths hadn't been observed in A THOUSAND YEARS. The established "Church" of the day had ignored it for a millennia- But people who loved God enough to obey His Word re-instituted it. They should have been our example- they were for Martin Luther, who conquered that same famine of God's Word that same way- by obeying.

 

 

 

The Better Part, Day #246:

 

1Sa 7:12 Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen and called its name Ebenezer; for he said, "Till now the LORD has helped us." 

 

 

Michael Youseff pointed out something the other day- more in how he said it than what was said. He said, "There are only two reasons to look back in your past."

 

One, he addressed very shortly: "To look back at your mistakes and LEARN from them." Not dwell on them, or tear yourself apart nitpicking them, but learn from them. (I've already spent twice the time he did on it.) 

 

The other part, which he embellished for several minutes, was, "In order to praise God for all He has done for us!" Next time you feel like getting down on yourself, think on that. I know I will!