Presentation..

For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope. Romans 15:4

Comments, thoughts and reflections welcome

14 Do all things without murmuring and arguing, 

15 so that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine like stars in the world. 

How do we present to others?  Social media has been an effective magnifier of who we are when we leave that place of being centered on Christ.  We are to be blameless in the middle of a crooked and perverse generation which in itself will have us shining like stars in the darkness that surrounds us.  Too often I  find we have become like the darkness and there is no perceivable difference between us and others but for the differences in affiliations or politics.  Hmmm.

Does the following describe our actions and words?

14 Do all things without murmuring and arguing, 

To be able to engage others without murmuring and arguing requires centering in Christ.  Directly above this passage we are told:

¹³ for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

God is at work in us. Our speech, written and spoken, will reflect His will, will accomplish His work through us and in us.  All for His pleasure when we have our minds centered upon Him.  Would our posts and comments on social media look and sound differently if we truly were centered in His will?  How can that be?

Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence, but much more now in my absence, 

I can only be obedient to that which I know…reflect on that a bit…

So what do I know?  I know a lot about what is being presented outside of Christ.  There is abundant exposure to the mindset outside of Christ through the internet allowing access to social media and news media and advertising…How do I know the mind of Christ?  My mind can be filled with the knowledge of who He is and what He does, how He loves and what He loves…He has shared that with us in scripture and in holy fellowship with other believers.  I can know what pleases Him, I can know what I can be obedient to.  This is centering on Christ not on the mindset of those outside of Christ.

Therefore, I can be a light in the darkness. I can shine like the stars in a dark sky.  My writings and my comments can be a reflection of what I find in the shared words of God, they can reflect the place my mind has found in Him.

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Alone…

For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope. Romans 15:4

Comments, thoughts and reflections welcome

Reflections take me to considering the year’s absence  from our gatherings of some members of our fellowship.  Loneliness rests at both ends of the spectrum.  Not much is said about the space of emptiness left behind when some do not attend gatherings the purpose of which is to encourage one another as we worship in unity. Virtual worship cannot replace contact worship.  There is an element of bonding and love that is missing and we’ve been cautioned against “forsaking the assembly” as we are social beings not meant “to be alone”.  The present conditions of separation and isolation must have the dark side of the universe rejoicing.  This is not what God created and mankind/humanity loves to distort and destroy the “good” that God created.  By appearances that is what presents itself today…

Events and conditions are in fast change mode and not for the betterment of our existence.  Who is responsible?  Is it evil-driven or is it the heavy hand of God telling his people to change, to repent, to walk humbly with Him.  See

Ezekiel 14:19 Or if I send a pestilence into that land, and pour out my wrath upon it with blood, to cut off humans and animals from it; 20 even if Noah, Daniel,[a] and Job were in it, as I live, says the Lord God, they would save neither son nor daughter; they would save only their own lives by their righteousness. (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ezekiel+14%3A19-21&version=NRSV)

Or,

2 Chronicles7:13 When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, 14 if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, pray, seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 15 Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place. From <https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Chronicles+7%3A13-15&version=NRSV>

Can it be both?  Changes that are not in alignment with scripture need to be addressed by His people both collectively and on an individual basis.  The hard question to answer is where stand you?  Can it be possible to love and fight for what is right by God’s standard?  Is there a place for reconciliation?  Working in unity of spirit within God’s parameters?

Recently shared: A quote from Gordon Pennington and shared by Lance Wallnau.

Above all, we are Christians, and in serving the risen Christ, our greater mandate and uncompromised commission is to proclaim the good news of salvation, God’s free gift of grace, to a world in bondage to sin, and shame, and fear. This is the true foundation of all freedom.

Tyranny, in all it’s forms, through the political machinations and manipulations of conceit and deceit, is a manifestation of idolatry. It places surrender and obedience to man-made edifices of government in bondage, over surrender and obedience to the throne of Almighty God in worship. Only Christ offers enduring freedom to humanity. The governments of this world have never ultimately provided anything that did not lead to eventual subservience bondage.

Notes on reading Exodus 25

For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope. Romans

Comments, thoughts and reflections welcome

taken from google images

taken from google images

It appears that God appreciates art; the details on the menorah highlight this.  I see this in the following verses:

[Exodus 25:31-40 RSV] 31 “And you shall make a lampstand of pure gold. The base and the shaft of the lampstand shall be made of hammered work; its cups, its capitals, and its flowers shall be of one piece with it; 32 and there shall be six branches going out of its sides, three branches of the lampstand out of one side of it and three branches of the lampstand out of the other side of it; 33 three cups made like almonds, each with capital and flower, on one branch, and three cups made like almonds, each with capital and flower, on the other branch–so for the six branches going out of the lampstand; 34 and on the lampstand itself four cups made like almonds, with their capitals and flowers, 35 and a capital of one piece with it under each pair of the six branches going out from the lampstand. 36 Their capitals and their branches shall be of one piece with it, the whole of it one piece of hammered work of pure gold. 37 And you shall make the seven lamps for it; and the lamps shall be set up so as to give light upon the space in front of it. 38 Its snuffers and their trays shall be of pure gold. 39 Of a talent of pure gold shall it be made, with all these utensils. 40 And see that you make them after the pattern for them, which is being shown you on the mountain.

 

It appears that God appreciates gold. Note the use of gold in the lampstand. How this contrasts with those equating a plain life with holiness!  The plain, shaker-style in contrast with the ornate work of the lamp provides a picture of the soil versus the shine of metal.  We are dust and to dust we will return.  God is holy and eternal.  This clearly shines a light on the command; “walk humbly with your God.”

It would seem there are conclusions to draw from this.  So often we hear and see those among us taking something simply stated and making it into something more than what was said.  The contrast between plain and ornate might be one.  There are groups who take the ornate to the extreme in their religious furnishings and then there are those who prefer the opposite, the plain; they are those who forbid all expression of intricate design.  Is this even important? It must be in some sense because the last verse cautions the builders of the lampstand:

see that you make them after the pattern for them, which is being shown you on the mountain.

If we apply even these seemingly small details to our lives, how careful must we be to follow the directions given by God for our benefit, directions to live according to His will and not our own?  The principle then might be to be sure we follow God’s directions as given not our ideas of what he meant.  Think on that…

The pictures posted above are examples of an artist’s interpretation of the instructions given, maybe…  They are not the original. They are different from each other.  They do have similarities.  How do we know which is accurate?  We go to the Word of God and read the instructions given. How closely are the instructions followed?   We do the same with the instructions given to us to live according to his will.  How closely are those followed?

“walk humbly with your God.”

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