Note: After reviewing what I had written and the resignation of Will Smith from the Academy of Motion Pictures, in retrospect I was not happy with the blog…I had in word become part of the Mob. A man’s dignity has been taken from him and in a broader sense his irresponsible act, an injustice to the entire Black community. As to the Academy, well nuff said. I am going to go ahead and publish this blog but do so with a sincere prayer for Will Smith….forgiveness and restoration…and the peace that passeth all understanding. 

When we step out of the “The Pew” to find something to share it is inevitable that we will end up looking at human behaviors or the lack of civilities toward one another as deemed acceptable by our enlighten society. We then usually try to compare those worldly behaviors to Christian Standards and to find ways we can reconcile the obvious lack of Godly behaviours and the Christian respect and love for others. Life never disappoints…and our determination to seek justice for our hurt lends to our desire for instant gratification when seeking to right a wrong and then leads us to meet that wrong head on and slap it down…in this case, slap it in the face. Most of you know what I am writing about. It was the slap heard round the world. A man took offense to a joke about his wife…that would be Will. Quicker than a speeding bullet, which I am grateful to report, was not involved…You see Will storm the jokester’s position…that would be Chris and slapped him in the face. You might be asking how in the world did I equate this slap to a Mob? What is a mob? To those of you who visit the Pew  each week you know by love of words and dictionary…let’s go there.  

  Mob.  

noun – a large crowd of people, especially one that is disorderly and intent on causing trouble or violence: 

verb – (mobs, mobbing, mobbed) [with object]crowd around (someone) in an unruly and excitable way in order to admire or attack them:  

What caught my attention about this incident? Was it the venue, people involved or the reaction of the people there at the time… Well the venue is of interest to many people both in the business and those who follow it. Been around for a long time and has always been used as a platform to garner attention for certain social agendas. So I was not attracted to those two things…what was of interest to me was the reaction of those there and the mob that gathers around such things. I wrote a blog in May of 2018, I will list it at the end of this blog. Justice and the Mob…that is what drew me to this recent event in the news cycle. You may completely disagree but please don’t slap me.

So stepping back inside the Pew let’s look at it from a Christian standpoint. The first thing is the need of society to assign blame…to see that justice is done. In our world today that is a huge thing and all to often the process of finding justice is perverted by the Mob. What happens next in this latest saga of seeking justice? Will the rules and practices that are now in place determine the outcome…or will the Mob Mentality of the day be applied? Follow me to a different time when Mob Mentality made Christianity and those who served the Lord difficult. This Mob thing has been around a long time and in reference to scripture there are 15 occurrences of such activity in the Bible, OT and NT. Three can be found in the Old Testament and the remaining twelve in the New Testament. The bible gives us a clear picture of what we are dealing with when we allude to a mob.

Plasm 26:5…I hate the company of evildoers, and will not sit with the wicked. (NET)

Plasm 64:2…Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked, from the scheming of evildoers, (HCSB)

Both these are from King David and indicate his desire not to be a part of such a group…he declared them to be a bunch of scheming, wicked evildoers.

I have written in the past that I don’t like overwhelming folks with scriptures but It would be helpful if you took the time to read those I share today in their proper context. Next we will look at some scripture from the New Testament. I will not burden you with all 15, just some whose context might be filmlillar to you.

Matthew 26:47…While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, arrived; with him was a large crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the elders of the people.

(HCSB  The Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus)

Acts 17:5… But the Jews became jealous, and with the help of some ruffians in the marketplaces they formed a mob and set the city in an uproar. (NRSV  Searching for Paul, Silas in Thessalonica)

Acts 21:34… Some in the mob were shouting one thing and some another. Since he was not able to get reliable information because of the uproar, he ordered him to be taken into the barracks. (HCSB  Riot in the Temple Complex)

The verses above are just a few that speak to the influence of a Mob during the days of Christ’s ministry and  into that period of the early Church and shows without any doubt mob rule is no respecter of Christianity or even what public behavior is currently acceptable. There are lots of thoughts yet in my mind about this situation but the best way to close the blog this week is to acknowledge that you will find no wisdom, no compassion, no fairness within the Mob Mentality, Justice belongs to God… 

Life is Good

jk 

Link to other blog – The Bible, Starbucks and Social Justice……Mob Style

 

Micah is a small OT book with a big story… Micah alternates between destruction and hope. A true Christian faith that is strong and well nourished has as its foundation hope. Hope is ever present even in the days such as the people of the Ukraine, are suffering this very day. Micah wrote this book between 735 and 700 BC. This was a period of great prosperity in Jerusalem even though they did face some threats from Assyria. As Micah wrote this book he most likely would remember that the Northern Kingdom fell to Assyrian forces in 722 BC, I am sure he thought of this because although he lived in the Southern Kingdom he had witnessed the carnage the North. The tie if there is any to the present day situation in Ukraine is the hope of the people and their undeniable faith in their hope for a better day. Right now for most of us there is a stubborn refusal to examine the state of our relationship with God. We refuse to acknowledge the social ills of our day and do what is necessary to restore our relationship with God through our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. Where is our Micah? It is thought that Micah wrote this prior to the good King Hezekiah’s reign, this being the time of the wicked King Ahaz. (2 Kings 16) This King subjected himself to being a subordinate of Assyria, not trusting in God. There was idol worship and the destruction of God’s temple, which leads to Micah’s predictions of the fall of Samaria (the Northern Kingdom)  and several other warnings to the people of Judah.

In the remaining verses in chapter six (9-16) God has made known through Micah that cheating and violence will be punished. In chapter seven we find four other points in this closing chapter. The first is the total corruption of the people, their perversion of justice ,family and the people in general turn away from others as well as God. Contempt and lack of compassion have a free hand. Micah calls for penitence and trust in God. The book comes to an end with two wonderful thoughts. There is the prophecy of restoration and ends with God’s compassion and steadfast love. Read these last verses of the book of Micah and rejoice….

 18 

Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity
and passing over the transgression
of the remnant of your possession?
He does not retain his anger forever,
because he delights in showing clemency.

19 

He will again have compassion upon us;
he will tread our iniquities under foot.
You will cast all our sins
into the depths of the sea.

20 

You will show faithfulness to Jacob
and unswerving loyalty to Abraham,
as you have sworn to our ancestors
from the days of old.

Micah 7 New Revised Standard Version

Our world needs a Micah and even though Micah chastises us for our sins he leaves us with the promises God has made and set before us through his son Jesus Christ. We need to understand that while our God is one of mercy and forgives, casting our sins into the depth of the seas… There is a judgement.

Life is Good

jk

Note:Did Micah write the Book of Micah? The book is a compilation of materials some of which come from a period considerably later than Micah’s time. The threats in chapters 1–3 and 6–7:7 are usually attributed to Micah, but the promises in chapters 4–5 and 7:8–20 are generally dated several centuries later.     (britannica) 

All through the Bible we read of the peoples, government and Churches unfaithfulness and disrespect for God. We should realize by now that our God, one of mercy, grace and hope also is a God of Judgement. God’s wrath has been felt by many nations, peoples and in some instances even the Church. In the first three chapters of Micah we are made aware of the Judgement of Samaria, the Doom of the cities of Judah and a Denunciation of the prevailing social evils. The third chapter speaks to Wicked Rulers and Prophets. There is in chapter two a small respite in verses twelve and thirteen. In chapter four we find the possibility of Peace and Security through Obedience and Restoration promised after exile. Moving on to chapter five we read of the Ruler from Bethlehem and the Future Role of The Remnant. Today, I have chosen to look a little closer at chapter 6:1-8.

Back in the day I had a great aunt that was always telling me about how the church had changed. She bemoaned the absence of a good old fashion hell and damnation sermon. She said that “people needed to experience a good old fashion gospel tongue lashing…never hurt nobody.” Well, here in the book of Micah we  get that and then some. Our nation today and I guess it would be safe to say, the world is in bad need of a little divine intervention. What do we do? How do we seek the forgiveness of our God for this mess we made of his creation? What does God require? In the sixth chapter of Micah that question is answered. In verses 6-7 those things that were of much value in that day are offered up as perhaps something to offer God and be in his favor. I offer for your consideration today, Verse 8…. 

Micah 8   

He has told you, O mortal, what is good;

and what does the Lord require of you

but to do justice, and to love kindness,

and to walk humbly with your God?

As Christians there are the requirements of the faith…instructions if you will that are tossed aside to make way for a faith of convince that meets the demands of the day, socially and agenda wise. In a real sense the word requirements is really out of place here. The first few words of verse eight are far more meaningful…He has told you, O mortal, what is good… Please read Micah in its entirety. Next week we will continue in chapter six and finish the book in chapter seven. I plan to focus on the last three verses of this somewhat under read book.

Our nation and the world need now more than ever a good hell and damnation message, we need a divine intervention. 

Life is Good

jk

Many of us have over the years experienced adversity of one kind or another, prompting that classic response..why me Lord? David wrote this Psalm when he was an old man, he had plenty of time to reflect over his life. In the world today wisdom isn’t much valued…Part of the shame of this is that there is a definite distinction between wisdom and knowledge…the first being God given and the latter acquired. It is not my intention to spend time lingering in the adversity of the day and as we walk with God there no need to do that. David had been there. Although he had been anointed king as a teenager, he spent the better part of his twenties running from the ungodly King Saul. David had many occasions to reflect on the problem of personal injustice. The first nine verses spoke to the wisdom he had gleaned from years of walking with God.

Psalm 37

1 Do not fret because of the wicked;
do not be envious of wrongdoers,

2 

for they will soon fade like the grass,
and wither like the green herb.

3 

Trust in the Lord, and do good;
so you will live in the land, and enjoy security.

4 

Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.

5 

Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him, and he will act.

6 

He will make your vindication shine like the light,
and the justice of your cause like the noonday.

7 Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for him;
do not fret over those who prosper in their way,
over those who carry out evil devices.

8 

Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath.
Do not fret—it leads only to evil.

9 

For the wicked shall be cut off,
but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.

(New Revised Standard Version)

For convince I have inserted those first 9 verses. The first 22 verses are Godly advice for those who are in adversity not to envy the prosperity of the wicked, because it is superficial, and of short duration but today we will stay with the first 9. Now part of the message here is to put your confidence in God, and live to his glory, as this is the sure way to be happy in this life, and in that which is to come.

Gleaning from the above verses we find a list of actions we can take to make each day better. Do not worry, trust in the Lord, do good, please Him… avoid evil, take heart, there will be vindication. Put aside anger, turn from wrath. It is noted that those of evil intent will be cast aside but those who live for Christ  will prevail. A bit of a personal note here. I have always believed that there are miracles occurring around us every day. Some years back the group  Alabama had a song,  Angels Among Us…and I believe that to be true also. What I think is we are so busy living our life, our way that we allow God’s way to be obscured by the way of the world. Sometimes that little voice we hear is put off to be our  conscience, a little cricket sitting on our shoulder. Have you ever considered the possibility that it might be an angel or even….God? So…to the point here.My devotional this morning was written by John Blasé and it was about being anxious, which I will claim to be the cousin of adversity which could be the driver of anxiousness.  From the John Blasé  article I share this with you. 

“The 2019 You Version  shared that the most shared, highlighted, and bookmarked verse of the year on its online and mobile Bible app was Philippians 4:6, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” The verse that didn’t make “verse of the year” but follows it is—“And the peace of God . . . will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (v. 7). That’s quite the reassurance!”

I was a bit unsure about the topic I had picked for this week, I started to search for a topic on Sunday evening…Today’s devotional took the worry away. I believe there might have been angel on my shoulder during my devotional time. I hope you will read Psalm 37 in its entirety because as I have written often…content is important and the truth lies in the wholeness of a thing. Let God be part of all your tomorrows and your life will be better. 

Life is Good

jk

 

I always sign my blog with the tagline Life is Good…and indeed it is. All of us will at one time or another find a rough road, some bad times and truthfully the degree is never the same from one person to another person. Bumps like potholes come in all sizes and to navigate them requires knowledge, attention and avoiding those roads in life that they seem to be more prevalent on. To travel the Christian Road does not guarantee a smooth ride but the destination is worth the effort. What is important is that all of us will at various times in our lives find ourselves out on that preverbal limb, or subject to Murphy’s Law, the truth is the real reason being we made bad a decision…it’s human nature to avoid two thing whenever possible…responsibility and discipline and that brings us to this point… ‘Zacchaeus! Hurry and come down! for this very day I must stay at your house.’ On the surface a reasonable request if you are aware of the context in which it is said and by whom and to whom. I love the stories of the Bible and I particularly enjoy going beyond the words or to quote Paul Harvey getting the Rest of The Story.

As the story goes Jesus was passing through Jericho and there he encountered a man named Zacchaeus. This man was the Commissioner of taxes, and he was rich. Now Zacchaeus knew who Jesus was and wanted to see him but being short in stature didn’t help and the crowd that had gathered knew him only as the commissioner of taxes, and  that he was rich and they disliked him intensely. This intense dislike made going among the crowd a bit risky. Zacchaeus was a quick thinker and ran ahead of the crowd and climbed up into a sycamore tree, not to tall but stout with strong sturdy limbs…easy to climb and there he waited to see Jesus. Jericho was one of the greatest taxation centers in Palestine. Give Zacchaeus credit, he was good at what he did. He had reached the top of his profession but with that distinction he was the most hated man in the district. Consider these things…Yes he was wealthy but he was not happy. He was a lonely because the path he chose had made him an outcast. Zacchaeus was determined to see Jesus, and would not let anything stop him. From other readings because of his stature he could not see Jesus because most of the people were taller than him and the crowd took delight in making sure of that. Written accounts say that this tree was a good source of shade and provided a nice spot to stop for a moment, catch you breath and maybe visit a moment. Jesus saw him out on that limb and thus came Jesus’ invitation….

‘Zacchaeus! Hurry and come down! for this very day I must stay at your house.’ 

What an opportunity to change his life! Zacchaeus, to his credit saw this and had no intention of letting it go by. He took steps to show all the community that he was a changed man. In Jesus he had found a new and wonderful friend. We must understand that on this day and upon this house came forgiveness, salvation and restoration from evil ways. It is followed by a wonderful and gracious act of restitution and the fact that in his restitution he went far beyond what was legally necessary. A testimony such as this must contain sincere contrition. Jesus is not looking for a change of words but rather a change of life. Some words to bring this story to a close. “The Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost.”  Being lost is not meant to mean doomed or damned. It is more about being in the wrong place. Zacchaeus knew of Jesus, and went looking for him…He sought out Jesus and got to the right place in his life. Are you in the right place with God?

Life is Good

jk 

“None is righteous, no, not one;

11  no one understands;no one seeks for God. 12  All have turned aside; together they have become worthless no one does good, not even one.”13 “Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.”“The venom of asps is under their lips.”14 “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.”15  “Their feet are swift to shed blood;16  in their paths are ruin and misery,17  and the way of peace they have not known.”18  “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”  (Romans 3:10-18 – E S V) 

 In Exodus 20:13 we read… “You shall not murder.” No true believer of the faith should ever disagree or marginalize that commandment. Consider this…but that may well depend on your definition of the word murder. Many christians and even those who don’t believe apply this “thou shall not” to war. The interpretation of the Hebrew word literally means “the intentional, premeditated killing of another person with malice; murder.” Justice is in reality an act of God. There are man made laws and judgement but those which are of God, the creator of all things are inevitable and are final. War is never a good thing but sometimes the evil is of man’s own doing, his quest for his desires and paths to them destroys the innocent and that which God has created. Our world today is filled with sinful people who because of their lack of the basic acts of compassion, forgiveness, respect, patience and love for others makes war inevitable.

Please make note that I am sharing with you things I have read from an article in Got Questions? It is a bible app that is well received and offers scriptures to reinforce their writings. I will share that link at the end of this blog and encourage you to visit it. We might ask ourselves is there or could there ever be a just war? Here we open a can of worms so to speak… Mortals definition of a just war might depend on the possibility that it was the only way to stop the suffering of innocent people or…Is it possible that God ordained his wrath and vengeance on those evil perpetrators responsible for these atrocities to their fellow men? I will take some liberties here and not list the supporting scriptures to this opinion, they are listed in recommended URL below. It is the opinion gathered from reading the aforementioned article. War is always the result of sin.  (Romans 3:10-18),  

We have sort of scratched around the edge of this war thing but be assured of this…It is an error to say that God never supports a war. There are many scriptures to support this view…OT and NT.

This blog was a last minute thought. There is never a good war, maybe a just war is about as close as we can get to it being tolerable. We can never excuse the suffering, misery, destruction and the frustration of the collective inability of mortals to have compassion and love for each other. What can we as the people of God do? We can pray for an end to this war, or more purposely, to all wars.

Philippians 4:6–7 — The New International Version (NIV)

⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

This you can take to the bank…Vengeance is Mine says the Lord… In God’s Time, In God’s Way, he will chose the manner of his judgement. There will be a Divine judgement. 

Jesus Ain’t N0 Pacifist…Pray for Peace

The link below will take you to the source of my information. It is an excellent article, please read it.

Life is Good

jk

https://www.gotquestions.org/war-Bible.html

In this chapter we read of King Hezekiah’s sickness and recovery in verses 1-8. As we read on verses 9-22 are about his thanksgiving. Good study of the scriptures requires we consider the subject at hand in its full context. A closer look can be found in 2 Kings 20: 1-11. The thing to be learned from this scripture today and it applies to all situations involving prayer… whether we live or die, we shall be his, we do not pray in vain. No prayer is ever not answered but not always in our way or time. Hezekiah’s illness is of a very serious nature. It is written that the prophet Isaiah went to him and said, “This is what the Lord says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.” His reaction is what can be expected with this one exception that speaks to the character and strength of this man’s faith.  He immediately turned his face to the wall and began to pray. “Remember, Lord, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.” The King then wept bitterly. Illness can overtake a person in the blink of an eye, its seriousness will determine reaction and the response… How we react to different events in our lives is determined by the content of the life we are living. The story takes a quick turn and even before Isaiah was past the middle court the Lord instructed him to return to the king….

“Go back and tell Hezekiah, the ruler of my people, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you….On the third day from now you will go up to the temple of the Lord. I will add fifteen years to your life. 

Writings indicate that the King was a good man, a Godly man but it’s worth noting that the scripture shows a moment of doubt ever so slight… Hezekiah had asked Isaiah, “What will be the sign that the Lord will heal me and that I will go up to the temple of the Lord on the third day from now?” … “It is a simple matter for the shadow to go forward ten steps,” said Hezekiah. “Rather, have it go back ten steps.” Then the prophet Isaiah called on the Lord, and the Lord made the shadow go back the ten steps it had gone down on the stairway of Ahaz.

There is such beautiful depth in the power of prayer and the lesson here among the scriptures. The King grieves that he will no longer see the Lord. Hezekiah’s desire has always been to serve God and have  communion with him. Consider that when a good man’s time here on earth is over all his cares and frustrations are ended and he rests from the labour of life itself. As we continue in these scriptures I see a beautiful vision. God has appointed our time here but the depth and seriousness of an illness can cause us to calculate the time we have left, when it is far more important to secure our own salvation and trust in our faith in God and his promise of eternal life through repentance and the pardon of our sins. God has promised Hezekiah 15 more years and he in return has promised to abound in praising and serving God. God’s promises are not to do away, but to quicken and encourage life and health which are given that we may glorify God and do good.

There will be a link below to a web site containing 7 Seven Reasons For Payer. I will post them here, go to the web site for a more detailed account.

1) Prayer can set (or change) the tone of your day

2) Prayer helps you make better decisions

3) Daily prayer keeps God in the forefront of your mind, not forgotten until Sunday

4) More frequent communication builds a stronger relationship

5) The discipline of daily prayer is submitting your heart to God

6) Answered prayers are prayers prayed

7) Opening your heart to God daily allows God to transform your heart

Remember the link below and make a daily habit of having a conversation with God.

Life is Good

jk

https://www.prayerandpossibilities.com/importance-daily-prayer/

I have been a member of the Methodist Church for over 40 years and I have seen a lot of changes in the church…so what is next? 

The Methodist Church has always been involved to my knowledge in social activism from its very inception. For decades now the church has fought the pressures from within and outside groups to change the teaching, or to be more exact, the doctrinal teachings of the church and church law. Both of these efforts always conflict with biblical standards and centuries of Christian beliefs and standards. Like right on cue I came across an article in the publication, The Next Methodism, written by Timothy Tennent, basically answering the question “What’s next”. Before I get to far into this there are many denominations experiencing this rush for change driven by the demands of our present times and fueled by societal, cultural, and agenda driven groups. I am somewhat uncomfortable with the following statement in the opening remarks of the article.

“there is an understandable excitement about the launch of the next Methodism out of the ashes of the current tragedy known as the United Methodist Church”

Not only is this statement, in my opinion as a Layman in the church but also a person who is very familiar with this traveling caravan of disruption and one thought idealism, offensive and not accurate but to be fair in this world of uncivil discourse, I will rephrase that to read… It is not accurate, at least from the pew I am sitting in. For decades same-sex issues have dominated District and General conferences as well Annual and to be clear they were not the only issues that were dealt with at these meetings but they were the most emotional, disruptive and hurtful to the body of the church. What is the issue that has brought us to this stage? If you replied same-sex, you might be wrong. The reason I say this is that I am guilty of not understanding or seeing the big picture myself. While I don’t agree with some of the things written in his article…. I do appreciate Mr. Tennent pointing me to the bigger picture.  

For decades many books have been written and read, position papers published, conversations and positions taken about just this issue alone.The disturbing thing about the issue now is that we, the church, are leaning toward the consideration that the most likely way to settle it, as being a spilt… in common terms… a divorce, a nasty one that would necessitate an equitable distribution of assets. Can you imagine that! There are those among the church who believe that we, God’s people, should divide what belongs to God among ourselves to satisfy an unreasonable horde of administrators and well educated theologians and unreasonable people of the faith! I must insert what I believe to be true… The majority of these people are sincere well meaning disciples of the church.There is much more here than many of we the laity know about and I include myself in that number. This from Asbury University… “John Wesley’s primary focus was upon the doctrine of salvation and the relationship between grace, faith, and holiness of heart and life. First, Wesley taught the classical doctrine of original sin and the absolute inability of human beings to save themselves through virtuous works. …” 

Wesleyan-Holiness Theology – Asbury University

https://www.asbury.edu › about › spiritual-vitality › faith

“The Wesleyan Methodist Church in America was created in early 1843 as a result of a schism from the Methodist Episcopal Church over slavery, holiness, and the arbitrary use of episcopal power by the parent church.”

 The word, episcopal power is of interest to me in this sentence. Many folks in the Pew are concerned that their voices are not being heard by leadership of the Methodist Church. A definition of which is:-of a bishop or bishops, • (of a Church) governed by or having bishops.

Consider this if you will please, from the United Methodist Resources:

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2012

The Ancient Creedal Faith

The United Methodist Church professes no faith other than the ancient Christian faith, “the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints” (Jude 3), rooted in Sacred Scripture, interpreted and taught by the Early Church Fathers and the Ancient Ecumenical Councils.  This same grace-centered and Christ-centered faith was reasserted by the Reformers and was affirmed by the Anglican Church in which the Methodist movement first arose.   

 A creed by definition is a summary or statement of what one believes. It originates from the Latin credo meaning “I believe”. Some things have changed and one item seems to be that there is less use of the Methodist Creeds as in the past and yes people are talking about that. To what degree is this and what do these creeds say about us? There will be link at the end of the blog that will provide more information. I have struggled with this blog because one man’s cause is another man’s aggravation and the last thing the church needs is more of that. So let’s take a little break learning with history from classroom.synonym.com . There have been many divisions in the Methodist Church over the years since 1784 through 1840’s, and into the civil war which caused more division because of the bishops refusal to take an official stand on slavery. I like the fact that folks at “classroom” use the word division, seems a bit more civil than split. Then, in the 1880s, there were other divisions, some due to a  concern that John Wesley’s teachings on holiness were not being emphasized enough within the whole body of the church. I am open to being corrected but in an effort to wrap this up allow me to share just a few more points with you. Timothy Tennent, in his written discourse points to some thoughts and acts that basically sum up where we are at due to previous actions. A flagship reasoning for the split in United Methodism over the ordination of men and women who are in same-sex marriages and The removal of wording in the Book of Discipline.I always believed for years it was because of these Nine little words. 

The practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching. (303.3 Methodist Book of Discipline)

It has among the outside pressure groups been a standard rallying battle cry, picked up by other social justice warriors. They have so far been successful with the disruption and negative thoughts directed toward the United Methodist Church but have not been able to gain their goal. Sometimes an issue is so disruptive that it chokes itself… So they change the narrative to one that takes a little more finesse and requires some knowledge of the issues. The article includes three acts that are found in Billy Abraham’s chapter of the Next Methodism and is entitled “Doctrine or Death”. Now I will re-print those here for a hopefully clearer picture of where we find ourselves today as written by Mr. Abraham. Remember that what you are about to read is verbatim from his writings.

Act One was the confusion that the replacement of the ecumenical creeds with Wesley’s 44 canonical sermons and his Notes to the New Testament led to the false idea that Wesley was not committed to the grand ecumenical tradition.  

Acts Two was the rise of social activism and human experience which further distanced Methodism from historic doctrinal confessions. 

In Act Three the United Methodist church further distanced itself from the grand ecumenical tradition, replacing it with a form of pluralism which allowed endless innovations of both faith and practice.  Mr. Abraham comments made note of the fact that In Act Two we lost our Wesleyan heritage. He also notes that  In Act Three we lost our very identity as a distinctive Christian movement.  The failure of many of our official UM seminaries and episcopal leaders to guard our Christian identity led to our current untenable situation where we no longer have any viable basis for unity in mission, doctrine or experience.  

I am going to step back in the Pew to close this out. I do not favor a split, division or any other means of settling these obvious differences that may occur other than the use of that good old Methodist 3 legged stool, Reason Tradition and Experience. Mr. Tennent and Mr. Abraham, both used that stool to arrive at their positions and though I would consider myself not entirely in their Pew, I respect and admire their work and thoughts. I realize it might be a bit pretentious on my part…. I close with this thought…. Nothing of any value is ever conceived or blessed in an atmosphere of distrust, rancor or absence of God’s blessing and guidance of the Holy Spirit. Unity in the body of the believers and Our God will survive this issue. The Church shall not be split and stand.

Life is Good 

jk   

https://christianityfaq.com/methodists-apostles-creed/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I believe that many of you will know this song, if not you will know the writer… Kris Kristofferson, if not maybe the songs actual name… Why Me or Why me Lord. How often in our daily life when things get tough, have we asked that very question? Today’s world is full of “why me’s.” From growing up in the fifties, casting my first vote in a national election in 1964, our world has evolved into one that lacks civility, respect and the moral standards have deteriorated under the increasing pressure of the changing of social and cultural norms…. I might note here the term you often hear is the new norm. A nice polite way of giving the impression of general approval of such practices. 

This song by Kris Kristofferson always has been a favorite of mind because it is a statement of faith found….of hope…and expectation of restoration and not eternal damnation. Mr Kristofferson gets his message across without being preachy. I have included a small section of the lyrics here. You can Google the whole song if you wish. 

Lord help me Jesus, I’ve wasted it so

Help me Jesus I know what I am

Now that I know that I’ve need you so

Help me Jesus, my soul’s in your hand.

Tell me Lord, if you think there’s a way

I can try to repay

All I’ve taken from you

Maybe Lord, I can show someone else

What I’ve been through myself

On my way back to you.

Songwriters: Kris Kristofferson

Why Me lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

I believe many times we are better served by the axiom “less said the better”.

While you  won’t find this song in the Bible you will find a biblical response to the question….Why me Lord….Consider the Book of Psalms… Psalm 16 to be exact.

Psalm 16

A miktam  of David.

1 

Keep me safe, my God,
for in you I take refuge.

2 

I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
apart from you I have no good thing.”

3 

I say of the holy people who are in the land,
“They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.”

4 

Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more.
I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods
or take up their names on my lips.

5 

Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup;
you make my lot secure.

6 

The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
surely I have a delightful inheritance.

7 

I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;
even at night my heart instructs me.

8 

I keep my eyes always on the Lord.
With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

9 

Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest secure,

10 

because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
nor will you let your faithful[b] one see decay.

11 

You make known to me the path of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia  Miktam or Michtam (Hebrew: מִכְתָּם) is a word of unknown meaning found in the headings of Psalms 16 and 56–60 in the Hebrew Bible.^[1] These six Psalms, and many others, are associated with King David, but this tradition is more likely to be sentimental than historical.^[2] They may have formed one of several smaller collections of psalms which preceded the present psalter and on which it was based.^[2]

This psalm alludes to David , who would become King of Judah, who in his travels had spent time among idolaters, was forced to leave his country because of Saul’s persecution and cries out to God for help.We learn in the first 7 verses his dislike of idol worshipers and his desire to be united again to God’s people and his strong confidence in God, who has been so kind to him in his time of distress. Now this may be a stretch for some but I see a person who has seen a few bad days and seeks a way back home… That way being a path to God… Many of us need to find the way home… Amen…Go With God

Life is Good

jk

This will be a bit unusual this week but every now and then I like to step out of the Pew. We can immerse ourselves in the Bible, structure our lives to avoid those things that we consider to be outside the faith but until the Lord’s day comes we live among the human world mortal sins and shortcomings. We have been called to challenge that and to tell the story and bring others to Jesus Christ….BUT…. 

There are so many things in our everyday lives that challenge our Christian way of life that I don’t think our minds are large enough to cipher through all of it. Now at this point I will endeavor to elaborate on that BUT, in the opening paragraph. In the news today here in the USA we learned that there will soon be a vacancy on the highest court of our nation… that would be the Supreme Court of The United States. A person will be nominated by our President, considered by our Senate and upon whose consent the vacancy will be filled. Let’s think about this for a moment. The President and the Senate will examine reason, ponder, and think and yes there is a bit of redundancy here and guess what…they will overthink the subject at hand. Why? Because of those little soundtracks running in their minds. Now to be nice here I will simply say they will overload their minds due to the increasing amount of pressure from social, cultural and agenda driven causes. Ok, where is the Christian perspective in this weeks Blog? Well, it comes from a  current sermon series at church titled Soundtracks and has as it guide thoughts from a book, Soundtracks written by Jon Acuff. 

Like the Greeks of old, our Senate the smaller upper assembly in the US Congress, must give their consent to the President’s choice and they love to debate. There is nothing unusual about this process or anything evil about it…but… the good people haven’t shown up yet and already Jon Acuff’s theory on overthinking has cast its shadow on the process. To borrow from Jerry Lee Lewis, while there might not be a “whole lotta shaken going on” there is a whole lot of thinking going on. So far it is shaping up to be an issue of race, political agendas and one other issue that has always been a hot button issue…plainly said Abortion and that friends caught my attention. The search, the vetting, the nomination and either approval or not of the US Senate of that person, follows a procedure that is in place and has a history of working well. You may have noticed up to this point…somehow the Bible got lost in all the thinking I have been doing…Could I have over thought this situation? I most likely have but  consider this. My own study and reading others comments has led me to the conclusion the bible does not say anything at all about Abortion. We find ourselves caught in a dilemma here. The last candidate  nominated to the court was thought of as a Pro-Lifer… This time the tag will be a person thought of as  Pro-Choice. Now to be fair I always try to see both sides of the debate but I have always looked at a debate as a process that only one can win…there always will be a loser or in some cases, losers. From a believers view the word of God is not debatable. The Bible does not present itself as having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone and we miss this point but I do admit that some commentaries and writers do. Example…you will not find the word gay in the Bible, Old or New Testament, except in the newer translations but you will find behaviors that today attribute to the use of that term in new world language and have assigned that word to describe those certain behaviors in our time. The point I am trying to make is that there are things that take place in the Bible, situations where what we now refer to as an Abortion occurs, but is not referred to as such. Basically speaking, the qualifications to be appointed to the Supreme Court are few, and concise. The link posted at the end of today’s blog is very informative, well worth the read. All this would work well and get this done…but in this case the overthinking will make for a decision of excessive thought due to those nasty soundtracks in the minds of all involved. I will leave you with this thought… Here is a direct quote from an opinion piece I read in preparing this blog.

October 16, 2020

By John J. Collins

“Christians can point to a long tradition of condemnation of abortion, dating back to the period just after the New Testament, and may reasonably feel that this tradition carries weight.”

“But Christians who turn to Scripture to trump a political debate with the force of biblical authority should be reminded that the Bible does not actually say anything at all on the topic. On this issue, there is no divine revelation to be had.”

(John J. Collins is Holmes Professor of Old Testament at Yale Divinity School and author of “What Are Biblical Values? What the Bible Says on Key Ethical Issues.” The views expressed in this commentary do not necessarily reflect those of Religion News Service.)

The above being the tag attached to these quotes. I don’t feel like it is a waste of space as I always want you to know where I get my information… or it could be a law…I don’t know.

I would add to the Professor’s comments with respect… in today’s world there is no such thing as biblical authority and with sadness I must say very little within the church. We are a weird people. We believe God created everything, even our very person. We heard the argument “it is my body, no one can tell me what I can do with it.”

So I will go out with a big bang! You my friend were created by God, given life and a purpose and I will give you the “do what I will with it” there is such a thing as free will.  Here is that but again …your soul belongs to your creator and in the end he will determine its fate. God gives and is life, why are you so determined to take it.

Life is Good

jk

https://thelawdictionary.org/article/qualifications-to-become-a-supreme-court-justice/