Today's Psalm Passage

Besides a constant read through Proverbs, we could also be drinking regularly from the incredible engagement with God that is the Psalms. There we will find, not "theology" in the Western sense, but a real-life interaction between saint and savior.

Todays for me was, of all things, psalm 119. it's way too big for me to just read through one time one day, so I'm going to take it in it's own acrostic division. (acrostic means that each section's first lines start with a letter of the alphabet, in order)
Today's acrostic section was the first one, Aleph. (bet is the next one aleph-bet/alphabet)

In it I had v. 6 jump out.

"6 Then I would not be put to shame
when I consider all your commands."

there's a presupposition here--a pre-existing condition: SHAME, when the saint considers the commands of God.
Does shame grab you when you read the Word? Do you steer clear of the Law or the old testament because you"don't understand them"? does "don't understand them" really mean that you don't like the feelings you have when you read them because they make you feel fear and shame?
and that confuses you?
that has confused me, too.

In this Psalm, we get permission to let the shame abide with you for a bit. The saint here is ashamed, and he's powering into the Word anyway. That shame is an honest shame, not a condemnation, but a humility before God.

He feels shame when he reads the commandment of God. In Romans it says that the Law is our tutor to bring us deep into Christ. Elswhere, it says that the word the Law, or the sayings of the wise, ar elike "goads".

"goads" are things that poke the oxen when they're attached to a cart, to keep them from kicking, or backing up on you, or getting out of line. Shamgar, one of the judges, used an ox goad (like a sharp stick--not attached to the cart) to kill a bunch of dudes...

If you feel "goaded" (we all do from time to time), don't pull away. push through. there's good news on the other side of that shame.

Those goads will keep you on the Path (who is Jesus), in the Way (who is Jesus).

So consider the Ancient Path, spoken of in today's Jeremiah passage on the Jeremiah study site (ch. 18).
Check out Jeremiah 6:16
Prov. 12:28
and that song, as well.

One thing I want

One thing I want, as Lew--the so-called "Leader" among the saints of Just some Jesus People here in Northside (i'm just your brother: a servant)--is to have a lot of jesus' people in the scripture, regularly, together.

One simple way I want to equip that is to commend everyone to the Proverbs, daily. These are the sayings and riddles of the wise, inspired by the Holy Spirit. There are 31 Chapters, so you only need to follow the enumeration of the calendar to all be together.

Today is the 28th, and among today's proverbs I found v.25.

"He who is of a proud heart
stirs up strife,
But he who trusts in the LORD
will be prospered.



I thought, "Hey, if you have strife and interpersonal tension surrounding you all the time, as many of us experience in our lives, maybe this proverb contains a secret for you." Did you ever wonder why, during some seasons of our earthly sojourn, we are met with strife at every turn? Sometimes it's the fruit of our own heart and lips. We are proud, sometimes, and during those seasons we reap that fruit in strife.

Do I have a proud heart that is stirring up strife around me? Very interesting. I know that this question has been helpful to me today. I pray it will build you as well.


And I'm challenged at the balance of the proverb--that trusting in the LORD will bring a prosperity. I can see so many places in my heart where I haven't trusted the Lord. I need to. So do you. It will smooth the way, as people push us and poke us, stab at us...
...as circumstances that terrify our inner child rise up, and we trust the LORD, we'll have peace and our gentleness will be evident to all.

Gentleness replaces defensiveness. It takes trust in the LORD. The solution to the strife that surrounds us isn't in resolving the relationship with that person, sometimes. (usually) The solution is in deepening our surrender to Trust Jesus.

...and that's good news.

The View Cohost on Evolution and "Is the world flat?"

click the title to see something kind of sad. People all over the world are mocking the lady who didn't care about the shape of the world, and has no love for the high-minded science community's push for dominance...

There's something funny, something sad, something beautiful to this lady's moment in this spotlight. Turn it, like a diamond, and catch the sparkles. Then pray for a lady whose life in the spotlight could well kill her.

Pray for Brittney, Nicole, and Paris, too, eh? Shoot. Three generations o f hollywood have proven the repeated experiment: American Fame Kills. Destroys and poisons.

But there is an answer! Turn to Jesus and He will show you the real Life that can live inside to outside. Holiness born of knowing the incomprehensible love of Father God for you.

Set the struggles about evolution, the crusades, "the god delusion", "the davinci code" and all that aside. You know that's just people trippin.
Look at Jesus.
Read the gospels and look at Jesus.
listen to jesus.
He is altogether wonderful.

Here's some Good Reading

Brother Sam's dishing up the good stuff at "heartsburning". download the pdf of that thing. I'm reading it as I type... kinda...

Something you gotta see to believe

You know, living in the city, deep in the "hood" (haha) has given rise to a number of strange sightings.

This one, like the Yeti and the Sasquatch, has only blurry footage to verify my testimony. Please believe me. The sighting is as follows:

a grown man
on a very small child's bike
pink
with white wheels.
very small bike
huge hoodie
and on his head:
a football helmet
with a full face cage mask

I am not making this stuff up.

Maybe its because of the rain. These are the first rainy days in MONTHS.

Blue Tooth, Wifi Phone

Hey, I got a new phone and it's got blue tooth. I do my calendar on it and everything. I already destroyed one in july...
replaced it for free. sweeeeet.

and it connects through wifi, so I use like very few minutes... this wifi thing rules. I just make my calls from the zone at home, or at a cafe... cool stuff...

cincinnatibell.com

20 pounds, six-packs, and McKees

You know what? I've lost 20 pounds since last February. I gained a lot of those pounds from being in "poor health" after a "botched" "elective procedure". I've had a ton of healing this year, through prayer, time, and grace upon grace.

I skateboard just about every day. I almost have a six-pack (of which i've never had one that I know of). Weird.

The rains are setting in, providing me a rest, and making me consider a membership at the McKee Center for the winter months. Maybe I'll do that...