Refreshment in Refuge

Grapes or wine? The marriage principle

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Burgess) — Sat, 26 May 2012 18:05:00 +0000

I have read about twenty translations of Song of Solomon 8:6. The paraphrases do not seem to get that this verse is from the Ketubah or the Marriage Contract. I have heard at least a hundred sermons on how our relationship with Jesus is as a betrothal between the groom and the bride, but I haven't heard much at all on the contents of the marriage contract, or the Ketubah. It comes from the Mishna.

It’s fascinating, in a word.

I cannot find the artist of this painting.

The original purpose of the ketubah was to protect the wife and children in case something ever happened to the husband and papa. In ancient times, the family of the husband could just absorb the whole estate leaving the wife and children with nothing. In Jewish thought, this is tzedek, or justice. Ketubot, plural of ketubah, took the place of the mohar, the bride price as the young men desirous of marriage rarely had the money or possessions to pay the mohar so the priests made marriage possible by delaying the payment of the bride price.

The delay meant the couple could marry, but the husband promised to pay for his wife’s care in case he decided to divorce her. Genesis 34 illustrates the practice of paying a bride price. A Hivite, Shechem, saw Dinah the daughter of Jacob and desired her so much that he violated her. His father approached Jacob and his sons offering to pay what ever price they said so that Shechem could wed Dinah. Exodus 22:16-17 stipulates that any man who violates a virgin should pay the bride price and if her father refuses to give her to the man as wife, the man shall pay the virgin bride price anyway.

The bride price was set high enough to pay all the woman’s living expenses for the rest of her life. If a woman was violated, any other man would not take her as a wife because she was tainted goods. (Even a widow were not married very often and became a burden unless she had sons to take care of her.) Her father must continue to take care of her far beyond the expected time so it was the responsibility of the man who violated her to pay for her care. It was also considered the responsibility of the husband to care for his discarded wife since she would have no place to go except back to her father’s tent.

In the ketubah the bride and groom did not sign the document, but the two witnesses who were highly honored friends attested to the promises made by the groom who would speak the words out loud to the bride and then would drink from the goblet of wine, then offer it to her. The wine represented the groom’s blood and offering it to his betrothed was the symbolic gesture that he would give up his life for her. When she took the goblet and drank it, she was telling him, the witnesses, and all who were present that she accepted his life and his promises. Thus the betrothal was complete.

John the Baptist called Jesus the Bridegroom and that He who has the bride is the Bridegroom. As mentioned above the witnesses were friends of the bridegroom, and John rejoiced at this highest honor God had bestowed upon him to bear witness to the authenticity of Jesus being the Son of God (John 3:28-34). The church is often called the Bride of Christ, and references to this are sprinkled throughout scripture as in Isa. 62:5; Rev. 21:2, Rev. 21:9; Rev. 22:17; Eph. 5:26-27, Eph. 5:32; 2 Co. 11:2. Therefore the significance of the ketubah and the mohar is evident as a physical example of a spiritual truth. The monetary promise of the ketubah was a disincentive to divorce. If a man must pay an exorbitant bride price to the woman’s father because he was to give her a writ of divorcement or a get, it was hoped he would rethink the action as it would deplete his fortunes considerably.

Jesus did not postpone the moharbut gave His life as the bride price just as the wine was His blood and the bread His body that we would remember what He had done. The wine is used when the betrothal is announced and everyone drinks to L’Chaim—To Life! It is the most common toast. Without blood there is no life. The sacrifices described in the Torah, were life given so that human life could continue. The correlation here is that God delayed pouring out His wrath upon the people.

Consider the day the Israelites persuaded Aaron to make the golden calf. God told Moses to get himself down the mountain because the people had done this evil thing; and God said His wrath would burn hot and He would consume them. Moses pleaded with God to consider Abraham, Isaac and Israel. So God nâcham. He took a deep breath and breathed out, easing His own anger and refrained from consuming the people. However, 3,000 men died that same day by a Levite sword. Blood was shed for the sin of the people.

Exodus 32:31 Then Moses returned to the LORD and said, "Oh, these people have committed a great sin, and have made for themselves a god of gold! 32 Yet now, if You will forgive their sin—but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written." 33 And the LORD said to Moses, "Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book. 34 Now therefore, go, lead the people to the place of which I have spoken to you. Behold, My Angel shall go before you. Nevertheless, in the day when I visit for punishment, I will visit punishment upon them for their sin." 35 So the LORD plagued the people because of what they did with the calf which Aaron made.

Wages of sin is death. But our Husband declared His love was so great that He gave His life, chaim, to redeem us. Moses offered himself for the people, but it was not a perfect sacrifice and God’s view is that each shall bear his own guilt unless he accept the atonement, or redemption payment, of Jesus’ blood.

What if young men were to make that kind of commitment for their brides today? What if wives would make that choice as well?

A man and woman can live as a married couple sharing everything, but still remain separate submerged within their own selfish desires, never caring beyond sacrifice for their beloved’s needs and pleasure. That is living as grapes on a vine. But, when grapes are crushed together, the flesh merges as one and the mingled juice becomes something more prized than water, as Jesus portrayed in Cana; that is the ultimate two becoming one flesh. That is how God intended marriage. The two people so blended, and so much a part of each other that it is impossible for anyone to divide them in twain.

That is the marriage principle. That is how it is with Jesus and His bride. We have no need of a ketubah.

(Inspired by this video: http://www.aish.com/f/m/Jewish_Weddings_and_Wine.html) This is a reprint from this week's column at LiveAsIf.org.

Kosher Chocolate Chips --the cookie crumbles

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Burgess) — Fri, 25 May 2012 21:10:00 +0000

Photo Freedigitalphoto.net

On the Wall Street Journal's website, there is an article about Trader Joe's chocolate chips not being kosher for meat and dairy. There is a hullabaloo and chocolate chip run occurring as we speak.

What's all the fuss, you ask.

According to Jewish law, meat and dairy cannot be served together, or cooked together at all. Jews could not eat Oreo cookies before 1997 because the goody was made with lard, not vegetable shortening. (No wonder they were so good!) So... this raises a question that I've been pondering for more than a decade.

Where did today's Jewish dietary laws come from?
When did Jewish dietary laws actually divert from the Torah?

Okay, that's 2 questions. Any one have an answer?

Law suit against Obama: Media censored reporting

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Burgess) — Tue, 22 May 2012 19:20:00 +0000

I have warned about this several times in the past. Because a certain story (or type of story) isn't convenient or isn't conducive to popular trends in the public sphere, certain news agencies will omit reporting the story or slightly twist the reporting to make the news slant toward a political bent. Remember how a certain agency edited the 911 call of Zimmerman?

Brent Bozell, president of Media Research Center is appalled by:

the worst bias by omission I have seen in the quarter century history of the Media Research Center, tantamount to the Chinese communists withholding news for 20 years that we landed on the moon, because it reflected poorly on the government. Our US media today are no different. They are now withholding news from the American people if it is harmful to the re-election of Barack Obama.

ABC's World News and NBC's Nightly News completely failed to report this historic event! CBS Evening News only dedicated a brief 19 seconds to the story and framed it as a birth control debate. By contrast, ABC led their evening broadcast with the sentencing of the Rutgers student who spied on his gay roommate with a web camera. That story received three minutes and 30 seconds of coverage at the top of the newscast.

This is not a mistake or an editorial oversight by the broadcast networks. This is a deliberate and insidious withholding of national news to protect the 'Chosen One' who ABC, CBS and NBC have worked so hard to elect and are now abusing their journalistic influence to reelect. Even when a network like CBS mentions the suit ever-so-briefly, they botch the issue by framing it as a contraception lawsuit instead of what they know it to be: a religious freedom issue. It's bogus, dishonest ‒ a flat out lie.

The fact is that the Catholic Church has unleashed legal Armageddon on the administration, promising 'we will not comply' with a health law that strips Catholics of their religious liberty. If this isn't 'news' then there's no such thing as news. This should be leading newscasts and the subject of special, in-depth reports. Instead, these networks are sending a clear message to all Americans that the networks will go to any lengths ‒ even censoring from the public an event of this historic magnitude ‒ to prevent the release of any information that will hurt Obama's chances of re-election.

I have to wonder why. What is it that is driving the news media, a once objective reporting industry to so abandon high ethical standards for a moral deteriorating agenda? Why is it so necessary to strip naked the moral majority of religious freedoms and conscious-driven policies? How far will it go?

Don't die in the wilderness

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Burgess) — Tue, 15 May 2012 03:30:00 +0000

Psalm 78:12 He did wonders before their fathers in the land of Egypt, the field of Zoan. 13 He divided the sea and passed them through; and He caused the waters to stand in a heap. 14 And He led them by a cloud in the day, and all the night with a light of fire. 15 He split the rocks in the wilderness and made them drink, as from great floods. 16 And He brought streams out of the rock, and caused waters to go down like rivers. 17 Yet they sinned still more against Him, to provoke the Most High in the desert. 18 And they tested God in their heart, by asking food for their souls. 19 And they spoke against God, saying, Shall God be able to set a table in the wilderness? 20 Behold! He struck the rock and the waters gushed out, and the torrents were overflowing. Can He also give bread? Will He provide flesh for His people? 21 So Jehovah heard and He passed over, and a fire was kindled against Jacob, and also anger went up against Israel, 22 because they did not believe in God and trusted not in His salvation.

Every time I hear something else that makes me churn with uneasiness like our economy, or that I don't have a job, or that our country's security is compromised by the loose lips of our president or secretary of state... God reminds me of His mighty works. Not just in the Bible, but I see a glorious day, a breath-catching sunset, a baby's smile and I am immediately soothed with assurance that He is in control. He gives us our needs before we think to ask. He lights our path so that we do not stumble. It is only when we disobey or head out into uncharted territory (read that away from the lighted path) that we acquire bloody noses and scraped knees and elbows.

It is imperative that we believe Him and trust Him. It is not for our salvation that we do this, but for our own comfort. To believe and trust Him is to eliminate the Worry Factor. Worrying is the harbinger of hearts full of disbelief and distrust.

Take a lesson from the Children of Israel and do not die in the wilderness. Rest on the Strong Arm of the Lord. He will save you now.

A grandmother's pride

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Burgess) — Sun, 13 May 2012 00:35:00 +0000

Year's ago when I was working for the Picayune Item my phone rang...

"I just want to know why you haven't put my granddaughter's picture in the paper," came the gravelly voice over the phone.

"Well, I... uh, what's your granddaughter's name?"

She told me and the name didn't ring one single bell. I'm pretty good at remembering names and putting names with faces. Don't test me, because I'll fail if you ask me to tell you who I met today and what their names are. I've got retroactive memory. Forget short term, that's gone forever, I think.
I took down all the information and all the while that gravelly voice was talking.

"My granddaughter won such and such award and I think that is way more news worthy than graduating basic training. Just about anybody can do that, but not everybody in the military gets such and such award. You need to find that picture and if you can't I'll scrounge around the family and get one, then I'd like to see her story in the paper as soon as possible. I've been waiting months for her picture to get in the paper..."

Whew. I asked around and of course no one remembered getting a military picture. It wasn't in the computer banks anywhere and not in any of the folders in the files. I scoured the internet hoping to find a military picture of this young woman. Surely, someone would be bragging on her if the award was such a big deal.

I turned up one photo of her. She was in New Orleans, handing out candy to Katrina victims with the biggest smile on her face, like she was having the grandest time of her life. The kids were grinning, too. They were having a party. In the background were a couple of helicopters, blades twirling, and soldiers were lifting stretchers out of the helicopters and the tarmac had several stretchers lined up.
She gave those kids a lighter memory than the pure trauma they had endured. That's a real hero. I'll never forget her face, but her name escapes me at the moment. But, her name isn't as important as what she did.

I couldn't find a "proper" picture to go with the award story. It was time to go home any way, it was past 7 o'clock and I was hungry.

Next morning, the picture was on my chair with a note scrawled across a paper clipped piece of paper, 'okay to rerun.' Hmm, I didn't know it ran the first time.

I scanned the photo and wrote the story. It ran in the next edition. And the grandmother was right. It was really a big deal and a great award. The young woman deserved the recognition. But, I'm thinking in the back of my mind, that the real story was the grins on those kids' faces. Mighty Mouse, Tom Terrific, Superman... those are two dimensional heroes. This woman was a real life hero in those kids' eyes. You just can't beat that with a stick.

Ten commandments to lose the first 4?

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Burgess) — Wed, 09 May 2012 14:39:00 +0000

The ACLU has attacked the Ten Commandments once again, and this time a judge has recommended that the first four commands be removed to make the document more palatable to the ACLU. The case has been ordered into mediation, but as of May 8, no decision has yet been made.

There are framed documents depicting American law and government of which one is the ten commandments. Whether they can see it or not, whether they like it or not, there is no changing the fact that the ten commandments played a major roll in the development of United States law.

Our forefathers are rolling in their graves, so to speak, at what America puts first. Our nation was built on Biblical principles by Christian men and women. One has only to do a bit of reading of historical speeches and writings of John Hancock, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Samuel Adams, and many others to know that the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Matthew, Mark, Paul and John was also the God of our forefathers. Nonetheless, today the battle cry is not “A Bible in every house” (Ben Franklin). It is “King size it” and “I’ll have it my way” for “If it feels good, do it” and “Just do it” because “I deserve a break today.” Regardless of lessons from times past, Americans have not learned how to let history be a teacher.

Jump to the conclusion

Women: No participation in the economy?

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Burgess) — Mon, 07 May 2012 22:24:00 +0000

According to a Wall Street Journal article, women have been held back from participation in the economy. Although, a focus group that asked top executives from 60 companies why they were trying to fast track women, the majority response was that women have held the purchasing power for decades. The article by Sue Shellenbarger asks, "So why are we still talking about it?"

Some interesting things come to the top for examination:

1. Women have to be prodded to nominate themselves for promotion.

2. Women have a lack of sponsors to petition for them.

3. Most leaders assume women do not want the "tough assignments".

4. High-ranking female role models are scarce.

5. Well-intentioned execs seem to ignore women managers' opinions and contributions.

Here in the South, there is a definite glass ceiling. The thought here is that a good woman is barefoot in the winter and pregnant in the summer. However, it is not a deeply embedded thought because there are thousands of women who have cracked that ceiling.

I learned in my Social Psychology that there truly is a sharp dividing line where gender is concerned, not only generally, but also regionally. So I was not crazy in my estimation that men in the South were more inclined to keep women in lower positions (glass ceiling).

In several studies, in a group of equal numbers of gender, the women will defer to the men even though the man does not clearly exhibit leadership qualities. A woman with clear leadership qualities will defer and not take over. In a related study, it was found that men lead in a totally different way that women lead. However, there were (and I think always are) exceptions to the rule.

Let's look at this limiting-gender-thought process.It is not new or merely a few hundred years old, it dates back millennial from ancient Greece where women were never seen in public and rarely seen in the home's dining room and never in the home's living room where guests (always only men) were being entertained. After Romans conquered the world, woman's role enlarged somewhat, but still the restrictions against them owning property were adamantly enforced. But life back then held little real value. Unwanted babies were left outside the gates of Rome like so much trash. Case in point, the Romans, in fact, named their daughters numbers (Secundia...Thertia etc. sp?) because the daughters held no meaning for them. I do not believe Paul thought this way even though I originally perceived him to think that.

After a closer walk with Paul, I came to see that his first thought was not of gender but of Truth teaching. He stressed that elders needed to teach and train (mentor) the younger ones. However, he had no problem leaving a very young Timothy to teach/preach to the congregation at Ephesus. The reason was because he knew that Timothy was firmly rooted in Truth because he had taught him himself. Women were not formally taught in school, so they had lots of instruction they had to undergo before they could understand deeper truths as in the case at Corinth and Ephesus.

Today, women have superior educations, hold Master's degrees and Doctorates. There is nothing that should hold a woman back from what she desires to attain, in fact, many women do strive for that corner office or chief officer level in corporate America. Those who do not want to be there, don't compete for it. Why is it assumed that women want those top slots?

I wouldn't be in that top chair for all the money in the world. (I notice so many people complaining about the sky-high salaries of CEOs now days, but I seriously doubt many people could handle those jobs without having serious stress problems, losing their hair or going prematurely gray!) I've been in management, worked 60-hour weeks without a vacation in a 2-year stretch. I did it because my husband had no job and I was the sole bread-winner. That kind of responsibility and stress played havoc with my health. Do not get me wrong. I loved all that wheeling and dealing; and I loved the difference I was making in 17 lives for the better as I mentored and coached them to better sales results. However, I would not do it again with children still at home. There are certain things that women do so much better than men and one of those things is being Mom.

God designed it that way.

I'm thinking that we women absolutely have our position which is under our husbands like under an umbrella of protection, and our children are under us as another umbrella of protection. In an ideal world the hierarchy would be Christ=>Husband=>Wife=>Children. That is a three-tiered protection level. It is so sad that that protection is not in place for all children everywhere, isn't it?

But, we also have abilities that are God given for Him to use. I do not think it wise to question God on how He uses His tools. We are all the same and yet we are all different, like snowflakes. That is one thing that makes God so great. Ah, well... if I understood it all, I wouldn't need my Bible so much.

2/2/2001 10:08 PM

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Burgess) — Sat, 05 May 2012 15:35:00 +0000

We all know it's like to get that phone call in the middle of the night. This night's call was no different. Jerking up to the ringing summons, I focused on the red, illuminated numbers of my clock. After Ten ! Panicky thoughts filled my sleep dazed mind as I grabbed the receiver.

"Hello?" My heart pounded, I gripped the phone tighter and eyed my husband, who was now turning to face my side of the bed. "Mama?" The voice answered. I could hardly hear the whisper over the static. But my thoughts immediately went to my daughter.

"Mama, I know it's late but, don't. . . . don't say anything until I finish and before you ask, yes, I have been drinking. I nearly ran off the road a few miles back and . . . and I got so scared. All I could think about was how it would hurt you if a policeman came to your door and said I'd been killed. I want to come home. I know running away was wrong. I know you've been worried sick and I should have called you days ago, but I was afraid."

I paused and tried to think what to say before I could go on, she continued.

"I'm pregnant, Mama and I know I shouldn't be drinking now especially now-----but I'm scared, Mama. So scared!" the voice broke again and I bit into my lip, feeling my own eyes fill with moisture. I looked at my husband, who sat silently mouthing, "who is it?"

I clutched the phone and stared at my husband, seeking guidance.

"I'm here." I said into the phone. I wouldn't hang up.

"I should have told you, Mama. I know I should have told you but when we talk, you just keep
telling me what I should do. You read all those pamphlets on how to talk about sex and all, but all you do is talk. You don't listen to me, you never let me tell you how I feel. It is as if my feelings aren't important. Because you're my mother, you think you have all the answers but sometimes I don't need answers.. I just want someone to listen."

"I'm listening," I whispered.

"You know back there on the road, after I got the car under control, I started thinking about the baby and taking care of it. Then I saw this phonebooth and it was as if I could hear you preaching about how people shouldn't drink and drive. So, I called a taxi. I want to come home."

"That's good honey." I said, relief filling my chest. My husband came closer, sat down beside me and laced his fingers through mine. I knew from his touch that he thought I was doing and saying the right thing.

"But, you know, I ! think I can drive now."

"I know, but do this for your mama, wait for the taxi please.." I listened to the silence, fearing. When I didn't hear her answer, I bit into my lip and closed my eyes. Somehow I had to stop her from driving.

"There's the taxi now." There was a click and then the phone went silent.

Moving from the bed, tears forming in my eyes, I walked out into the hall and went to stand in my 16 year old daughter's room. The dark silence hung thick. My husband came from behind, wrapped his arms around me and rested his chin on the top of my head. I wiped the tears from my cheeks.

"We have to learn to ! listen," I said to him. He pulled me around to face him.

"We'll learn. You'll see."

Then he took me in his arms and I buried my head in his shoulder. I let him hold me for several moments, then I pulled back and stared at the bed. He studied me for a second and then asked, "Do you think she'll ever know she dialed the wrong number?"

I looked at our sleeping daughter and then back at him. "Maybe it wasn't such a wrong number."

"Mom, Dad, what are you doing?" The muffled young voice came from under the covers. I walked over to my daughter, who now sat up staring into the darkness.

"We're practicing," I answered.

"Practicing what?" she mumbled and laid back on the mattress, her eyes already closed in slumber.

"Listening," I whispered and brushed a hand over her cheek.

Originally published in Parent Magazine, I think. I haven't been able to find the actual author. I received it in email back when I still had time to listen. It was a very good thing. Because I listened, I forged lasting friendships with my daughters. Today, my daughter told me I am her best friend and said that she knew I loved her no matter what. She trusts me. Those are compliments that a parent can go a lifetime without hearing. Praise God, He taught me how to listen.

Secret Service, Chaperones, and Pumpkins

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Burgess) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 16:43:00 +0000

So now the Secret Service has to have chaperones in order to police how they act. It has already been said several times that those who had prostitutes in their rooms were a smidgeon of the whole, and several have already been cleared from wrongdoing. Last Saturday, Obama joked about needing to get home to get his Secret Service people home before curfew as if they'd turn into pumpkins after midnight. he thinks it's funny.

That is not funny.

It shows what a tasteless and clueless person he is.

What is shocking to me is that these people are charged with protecting his life, and he's going to joke about them? It seems that there is a deeper problem exposed in that Obama is trying to hard to be funny and to be touted as a celebrity, using his office to that end rather than focusing on the real problems at hand such as the economy... and unemployment. Oh, yeah, he blames GOP for those problems. It is always someone else's fault, never his. Finger pointing began with Adam and Eve, and it didn't work well for them, either.

I'm not at all impressed. I think our country is in the tirlet and we've got to do some flushing and bowl cleaning hoping the bad stuff will be filtered out and we'll come out fresher, cleaner, and usable at the other end. Frankly, I'm not holding my breath.

8 attributes of a wise husband

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Burgess) — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 01:22:00 +0000

Job 11:12 For an empty-headed man will be wise, When a wild donkey's colt is born a man.

Solomon had a lot to say about wives such as living with a contentious woman is like the constant dripping of rain (he should know he had 300 of them and 700 concubines). His wisdom along with some old Hebrew adages are laid out in simple text in Proverbs. He spoke directly to his son about being wise in the world, with others, in business, and many situations. Some particularly seem to resonate with marriage wisdom from a woman’s point of view.

Proverbs 1:5 A wise man will hear and increase learning, And a man of understanding will attain wise counsel,
Listen to your wives, husbands. So often the act of listening and hearing and responding to your wife will avoid misunderstandings and arguments, but more importantly, you will better understand her.

Proverbs 12:5 The thoughts of the righteous are right, But the counsels of the wicked are deceitful.
Husbands, keep your thoughts under control. The man who has a wandering eye, and seeks outside entertainment; who does not drink water from his own cistern, and whose fountain is not blessed is foolish beyond measure. The pleasures of the body are fleeting at best. The intimacy of marriage lasts much longer, is more satisfying, and is much warmer when the bones get old and tired.

Proverbs 12:13 The wicked is ensnared by the transgression of his lips, But the righteous will come through trouble.Proverbs 12:19 The truthful lip shall be established forever, But a lying tongue is but for a moment. 20 Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil, But counselors of peace have joy… 22 Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, But those who deal truthfully are His delight.
Do not lie to cover up anything. What a tangled web we weave when we practice to deceive. When a person is caught in a lie, then trust starts to disintegrate. When trust is gone, that deep abiding love dissipates, too. It is very difficult to love someone you do not trust. It is interesting that there are four verses in this one chapter dealing with deceit. Peace reigns where there is honesty. Speaking of peace…

Proverbs 12:16 A fool's wrath is known at once, But a prudent man covers shame.
When anger rules the man, folly sticks to him like gum on a shoe. A wise husband will be lord over his anger. Righteous anger is a wonderful thing and spurs us to do something about injustices, but foolish anger does nothing but stir up strife and sows discord in the marriage which is something the LORD hates (Proverbs 6:18). Angry words never solve anything, and only cut to the bone wounds that take forever to heal. Soft words turn away wrath. Just remember that always being right doesn’t always make you happy. Joy in marriage is work. Love in marriage is work. Anger is a tool of Satan that steals joy and distorts love, be wary of that fiery dart from Hell.

Proverbs 12:14 A man will be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth, And the recompense of a man's hands will be rendered to him.
There is nothing so wonderful as a hard-working man. There is something about hard work (either in an office, a farm, or a shop) that makes a man smell good to the soul. The godly esteem that exudes from a man who’s put in a good day’s work drapes around the wife’s shoulders and comforts her with warm security. Hard work says, “I love you, my darling wife,” more than words. It goes deeper into the fibers of her being and encases her heart in a loving, gentle embrace.

Proverbs 20:7 The righteous man walks in his integrity; His children are blessed after him.
There is a whole sermon in this verse. Watching the political game for this presidential election I wonder does any man/woman in politics possess this quite desirable quality? I also wonder about the media, and business owners, workers, Sunday school teachers, preachers, doctors, lawyers, and Indian chiefs. A man who considers honesty and integrity above himself honors God and his family. Someone who always points a finger, never taking responsibility for his own foolishness will tear down the wall of trust that protects the marriage, and heaps shame upon his children.

Proverbs 20:22 Do not say, "I will recompense evil"; Wait for the LORD, and He will save you.
The wise husband will not retaliate or seek revenge against friends, enemies or his wife. Waiting upon the LORD is not an easy thing to do, but God deals with each person within that person’s own special heart language. Only God had build and restore friendships and marriages through forgiveness which is a vertical thing, not a horizontal thing. Forgiving someone is not saying, “What you did is okay, I condone it.” Forgiving someone is saying, “I love you anyway, no matter what you did. We’ll bury the thing and not think about it again.” Forgiveness is the best expression of love except for laying one’s life down for another.

Ecclesiastes 12:6 Remember your Creator before the silver cord is loosed, Or the golden bowl is broken, Or the pitcher shattered at the fountain, Or the wheel broken at the well. Proverbs 14:27 The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, To turn one away from the snares of death
There is no wiser husband than the one who bends his knee to the LORD for his discipline, recognizing the LORD’s voice, and obeying Him above all others. He who puts God first and his wife second will have a long and blessed marriage.

Isaiah 54:5 For your Maker is your husband, The LORD of hosts is His name; And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel; He is called the God of the whole earth.
That is quite a high mark to attain as a husband. God knew there would be only one Jesus, and when Paul told husbands to love their wives like Jesus loves the church, he wasn’t kidding; but the fact remains: there is only one Jesus. We all fall short of the glory of God. But that should not keep us from striving toward that goal.

Ladies and gentlemen, we will have the perfect everything when we get to Heaven, for now, we’ll have to strive for what is attainable. The Bible is quite vocal on how husbands should behave, and the wise husband shall have mountains of blessings.

An encouraging word

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Burgess) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 19:08:00 +0000

The written word is a mighty thing. Jesus stymied Satan with the words, "It is written..."

An encouraging word that is written has a great deal of power.

Photo graphic from Encouraging Words

I reached in my bag to grab my Sunday School book to study and a blue piece of paper came out with it. “What in the world?” I thought as I opened the folded note.

Suddenly, I was transported back a couple of years to a happy Sunday morning. The note was from my pastor’s wife encouraging me and telling me something to make me smile. Just a little three inch by three inch scrap of paper and a few words from a beloved friend lifted me out of the humdrum onto a floating blessing. It wasn’t much effort on her part. It was all the gold in the world to me because it came at just the right time that Sunday morning. Yet, it performed another blessing as I read that note again two years later.

I have a Blessing box that I keep in a not-too-handy place for those times when I fall into a black funk. My whole family is prone to depression. My dad fought it all the time after he retired, especially during the winter when he couldn’t get outside and do Tim things. So, I have the problem, too. Thus, I have kept a blessing box where I put all the notes of encouragement I’ve received down through the years. I guess it’s about twenty-five or so years old.

I don’t have to get it out much anymore because I’m so familiar with those notes from my bosses and clients and friends over the years. But, it helps to remember what people have written to me and about me when Satan zings that depression arrow at my heart.

Yes… I know the classic cure for depression is to quit thinking of one’s self and to get out and help others. Focus outwardly instead of inwardly. It doesn’t take long to break those bonds of darkness. It truly works.

But, what happens when you feel so worthless that you just know there isn’t a thing that you can do to help a soul? What happens when God has been silent for so long you think perhaps He’s forgotten about you and your big (little) problem? You start worrying that there’s no place for you in society. You start to feel like you are a millstone and everyone would be better off if you weren’t around because of _______________ (fill in the blank with whatever problem in your life.)

God uses His children to help each other and to lift each other up. It is a family dynamic that God designed. He has not forgotten you and your little (big) problem. Most of the time when He is silent, He is working in your behalf. That is when those little notes of encouragement and those notes of praise, God sends your way through friends, bosses and clients to let you know you are a crown of great honor and immense worth to Him. It is imperative that we all understand this. Once we were worms and worthless to Him, then we were metamorphosed from ashes into great beauty and worth far more than the pearls used for the gates of Heaven all because of and through Jesus Christ.

So I think of those precious notes and gifts from my friends when I was going through trying times of testing. It is as if God Himself has picked me up and settled me on His lap of comfort saying, “Yes, my Beloved, you are worthy to Me. My work I prepared for you to do in My name cannot be done exactly as I have designed, for My glory, without you, without those trials you learn from, or without Me. We are a team. We are Hand and glove.” Then He sets me back on my feet, straightens my collar, kisses my cheek and encourages me to get back into the fray. It is one of His ways. His strong arm is not a hammock, but a safety net.

So when you feel a little nudge to write a note to a friend or someone in your family, a collegue or even your boss, never waste a minute before you do so because you'll never know how many years of encouragement that note may bring to the recipient.

(Taken from a 2010 column of mine at LiveAsIf.org)

Drones--Privacy blasters?

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Burgess) — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 17:12:00 +0000

More than 50, yes, I said 50 organizations have been given approval by the FAA to use drones. Those are the electronic eyes in the sky machines that two decades ago were merely science fiction called "Hawks" which The Outer Limits awakened us to so long ago. Drones will be flying the skies perhaps at a university near you, or city, or farm, or al queda cell. Of course it won't be until 2015, yet, it is still a scary proposition.

No more skinny dipping in the backyard pool... unless you want to be eye candy for some agency in the air. But, criminals trying to grow marijuana or farmers being paid not to grow something but grow it anyway, or criminals in the drug industry will be targets of observation. The surveillance equipment will encompass infrared cameras, radar, wireless sniffers, video cameras, flir (thermal imagers) and the like. So in rain, sleet, dark or night these bats will be keeping us safe--er, uh--keeping us all under surveillance to catch those at their illegal avocations. We will be protected for our own good whether our privacy is violated or not.

Where will all these drones come from? Iraq, Afghanistan, and other points of the earth. Of course all the weaponry will be removed, right? Of course. These are just for spying not for prohibiting or violent enforcement of the law. Why does that episode of The Outer Limits keeping replaying in my mind?

All this with Zimmerman going to trial for standing his ground. Oh, I know there is a lot that hasn't come to light to the general public. One brave reporter told us that there was a lot of proof of what Zimmerman said in his own defense was true. He actually did have a bloody nose. He actually did have grass stains on his back, but that should all come out in the trial. So, if there had been drones in the sky... and if, say, they still had weaponry... and--let's, just for grins, consider this situation seriously for a moment--if, perchance, the drone had some sort of intelligence like the Hawks did in that Outer Limits episode, who do you think would have been shot? If Zimmerman had to wear a bullet proofed vest in the court room, for crying out loud, which ones are relying on violence for justice I'd really like to know.

Millennium of peace --

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Burgess) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 15:45:00 +0000

Some have questioned whether there actually will be a millennium of peace teaching that The Millennium is allegoric or symbolic. However, several of the early Christians taught it was a certainty.

Papias was taught by John and Polycarp; and he sought out those who had witnessed Jesus’ deeds and what He said. Then he wrote five books of all that he heard. Today we only have fragments of those works, however, some of the ante-nicene fathers wrote about him and his writings. He wrote of several parables and instructions of the Savior. “Amongst these he says that there will be a millennium after the resurrection from the dead, when the personal reign of Christ will be established on this earth. He moreover hands down, in his own writing, other narratives given by the previously mentioned Aristion of the Lord’s sayings, and the traditions of the presbyter John” (Papias, ante-nicene, 70-155 AD).

“Sabbath was symbolical of the millennial kingdom at the end of the six thousand years' dispensation, when the Lord would reign over all, and His glory and service fill the earth with thanksgiving' (Edersheim, 1874, chapter 8).

Justin Martyr wrote, “But I and others, who are right-minded Christians on all points, are assured that there will be a resurrection of the dead, and a thousand yearsin Jerusalem, which will then be built, adorned, and enlarged, [as] the prophets Ezekiel and Isaiah and others declare.” And he points out in Isaiah, “For Isaiah spoke thus concerning this space of a thousand years: ‘For there shall be the new heaven and the new earth, and the former shall not be remembered, or come into their heart; but they shall find joy and gladness in it, which things I create. For, Behold, I make Jerusalem a rejoicing, and My people a joy; and I shall rejoice over Jerusalem, and be glad over My I people.’”

Methodius also wrote of the millennium of peace in his discussion of the Feast of Tabernacles: “I, a follower of Jesus, ‘who hath entered into the heavens,’ (Heb_4:14) as they also, after the rest of the Feast of Tabernacles, came into the laud of promise, come into the heavens, not continuing to remain in tabernacles - that is, my body not remaining as it was before, but, after the space of a thousand years, changed from a human and corruptible form into angelic size and beauty, where at last we virgins, when the festival of the resurrection is consummated, shall pass from the wonderful place of the tabernacle to greater and better things, ascending into the very house of God above the heavens, as, says the Psalmist, “in the voice of praise and thanksgiving, among such as keep holy day.” (Psa_42:4) .

I disagree with Methodius here. I believe that we Christians will be transformed in the twinkling of an eye (1 Cor. 15:52) and rise to meet Jesus in the air before the millennium of peace begins. I believe we will rule and reign with Him (Rev. 20:6) during that period while the rest of God’s plan for humankind and especially the Jews plays out to the end.

There are some differences between then and present time. One is today we do not have Jesus physically present with us. We have the Holy Spirit who indwells us as our Seal and promise of salvation from the wrath to come. Two is we have lots of trials and troubles which Peter and Paul and others told us to rejoice in. These trials and troubles bring us closer to the Lord. They remind us that it is only through Him that we can do anything. They help us to rely on Him for our strength and our sanity.

But in the Millennium, there won't be any trials or troubles. There won't be any thing that has to be "overcome". Isaiah 25:6-8

6 On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine-- the best of meats and the finest of wines. 7 On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; 8 he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. The LORD has spoken.

And then in Isaiah 60:18-20

18 No longer will violence be heard in your land; nor ruin or destruction within your borders, but you will call your walls Salvation and your gates Praise. 19 The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. 20 Your sun will never set again, and your moon will wane no more; the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your days of sorrow will end.

The people during the Millennium will have sin attached to them. The mere fact they are human and physical puts them in the Adam category. Jesus’ blood washes that sin away with belief in Him. I pray you understand this goes without saying.

I don't believe the sacrifices in the Millennium are to atone for sin, Jesus has already done that. However, if we were living in a world with zero strife and stress, where there was zero worry about the weather, and our crops would grow… where was no sickness, zero tears of sorrow... how long would it take for us to take our eyes off of God and what Jesus did to make all of that possible? How long would it take for greed and pride to push their ugly heads to the forefront of our hearts—even without Satan to whisper in our ears?

We remember what Jesus did by partaking in the Lord's Supper... how many of us really thinkabout that when we take the bread and drink the juice? Do you know what is at the Bottom of the Cup?

Edersheim, A. (1874). The Temple: Its ministries and services as they were at the time of Christ. Public domain.

Papias. (70-155 AD). Fragments of his writings. Ante-nicene, volume 1.

The Third Temple

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Burgess) — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 17:57:00 +0000

Chaim Clorfene has recently published a book on the Third Temple, called THE MESSIANIC TEMPLE (Understanding Ezekiel's Prophecy), Menorah Books

The link above will take you to an interesting article concerning the two Second Temples (Ezra and Herod's refurbished Second Temple). The Third Temple is the one Ezekiel describes in chapters 40-48. I found a very interesting article by Lambert Dolphin written from a Christian point of view. There is something very crucial to note in the above graphic. The 2nd Temple has the altar slightly south of the east to west line from the Golden Gate into the Holy of Holies. Ezekiel's 3rd Temple, the altar is in direct line. What is not shown is that the inner room in the 3rd Temple is completely open to the sun all the way through because there is no laver, veil or golden altar of incense, and so forth. Please take note in Dolphin's page (click on his name to go to that page) where these are mentioned in the Bible.

Sacrifice in the Millennium?

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Burgess) — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 21:42:00 +0000

First, let me say that this discussion is for edification. It does not in anyway affect OUR salvation. I have difficulty understanding why sacrifices during the Messianic Kingdom are necessary. However, I love the Lord with all my heart and if He says to make sacrifices, then that's what I would do... Do you understand what I'm saying? Whatever God says do, I will do. The problem I am having is the understanding.

Now, There are lots of references to sacrifices in the Messianic Kingdom. Ezekiel not only gives us the measurements of the Temple, but also identifies the feasts to be celebrated and the sacrifices along with them.

Compare the Levitical Feasts with the Millennial Feasts
L. N/A                                     M. New Year - Ez 45:18-20
L. Passover Lv. 23:5             M. Passover -- Ez 45:21-24
L. Unleavend Bread                M. Unleavend Bread
Lv. 23:6-8                               M. Ez 45:21-24
L. Pentecost Lv 23:9-2           M. N/A
L. Trumpets Lv. 23:23-25      M. N/A
L. Atonement Lv 23:26-32     M. N/A
L. Tabernacles Lv 23:33-44   M. Tabernacles Ez 45:25 Zech 14:16-21

Feast of the Tabernacles is the "do or die" feast. Every nation absolutely must participate in this feast coming to Jerusalem or the rains will be with held for one year. Which means no food and so forth. We know this is in the Millennium because that had never been a requirement in the Law of Moses. It could not have been practiced after 70AD because the sacrifices were no longer practiced because the Temple had been destroyed. The only time it could be viable is after the new Temple is built.

It is well documented by several Biblical scholars that the prophets had difficulty in knowing the time frame of the prophecy. Their writings aren't chronological so to speak. Daniel is much more chronological and it seems to me that Ezekiel is more chronological, too. Especially in the last verse of the last chapter where the city is named THE LORD IS THERE." v 48:35. Jeremiah reads to me like a scribe dropped a sheaf of papers and hastily scrabbled them together and that’s how the book was preserved.

However, during the Millennium, there are still going to be folks that do not believe! I cannot fathom that.

I think this is why God is so specific towards who will be able to enter the Temple... only the "circumcised of heart" may enter (Ezekiel 44:5-9). That is only believers may worship there and pray there. He admonishes Israel to have no more abominations. Which is a look-back at what the priests did in Solomon's day all the way up to King Herod's day and what they did to Jesus. All through the OT, there is sin everywhere which is the reason that sacrifices were necessary. But the sacrifices offered were abhorrent to God (Malachi 2) they were thrown back in the faces of the priests as offal. In other words, God rejected the offerings of the people of Israel because they turned from Him and became as a harlot for the gods of other nations.

So we have on one side of the cross, blatant stone-hearted people that act a part without being clean on the inside and a few that trusted God to do as promised. And on the other side of the cross we have stone-hearted people that reject the gift of Grace with a few of us very blessed ones that believe in what Jesus did.

Sacrifices were necessary before the cross, but were rejected by God because of the nature of their hearts. The Temple was destroyed, I believe, because of the sheer horrendous nature of an incredibly falling-short sacrifice of animal (bull or lamb) offered to God in rejection of the sacrifice made by God, the Holy Son of God.

One Thousand Years of Peace

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Burgess) — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 16:10:00 +0000

I look at the headlines and violence abounds. Not only violence, but bloodshed in accidents, and natural disasters, intrigues, and power struggles. This is our lot until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. When that will be, not even Jesus knew while He was with His disciples. We know several facts about when the second coming of Christ is, when He comes in wrath and cleaves bone from marrow with just His breath. It is precisely 3.5 years from the breaking of the written agreement between the Antichrist and the Jews. It comes on the day of the abomination of desecration. It comes 45 days before the beginning of the Millennium of Peace. I believe Jesus is eagerly anticipating when He can come retrieve His Bride... but, for now, we live in a world of sin because the prince of this world is Satan.

What about after Satan is bound? What happens during that one thousand years? I do believe the Bible is literal in prophecies, and is actually clear when the Holy Spirit is the guide to understanding.

I have run across a few things in Isaiah to chew on...

We know that the outer courtyard of the Temple was the only place Gentiles could go. The inner courtyard all the way into the Holy of Holies was reserved for the Jews. This is one reason it was so horrific to the Jews at what Antiochus Epiphanes did and later in 70 AD what Titus of Rome did...

So, in Isaiah 56:6-7 "6 And foreigners who bind themselves to the LORD to serve him, to love the name of the LORD, and to worship him, all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it and who hold fast to my covenant-- 7 these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations."

Isaiah is speaking about a time in the future when the Gentiles are welcomed into the Temple to worship Jehovah and to offer burnt offerings and sacrifices upon His altar. This, of course, means another Temple will be built. We get a beautiful picture of that Temple in Ezekiel chapters 40-48, as well as some clues to the millennial sacrifices.

In Isaiah 66:18-24 we get another clue. Jehovah will gather all nations and tongues (Not just Israel) these are Gentiles that haven't "seen" the Glory of Jehovah... and it looks like God is going to use the Gentiles as "carriers" to bring the Jews to Jerusalem. Verse 20 this is done as an "offering" to the Lord, just "as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the LORD."

Since Jesus is our Sacrifice, and His blood covers our sins, and all our sins are paid for, then why sacrifices? What purpose do they serve? Can we even make sense of them if, perhaps, the sacrifices God requires are sacrifices of praise and prayer in His house of prayer? What is God talking about in Ezekiel? Isaiah?

Could this be speaking about a time when Jews and Christians will be like-minded and worship and pray together? -- maybe like the Jews who come to accept Christ? Hopefully those Christians will not denounce Christ as the Messiah and adopt Judaism, but is that really what is happening when sacrifices are made?

I would welcome any insight you guys have. Hopefully over the next few days we can make some kind of sense from this muddle.

Plague of plagiarism

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Burgess) — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 21:58:00 +0000

Hungary's president, Pal Schmidt, resigns after reviewers discover he plagiarized two authors in most of his doctorate which he claimed as his own work twenty years ago. It seems to me that those doctors who mentored him and advised him through the doctoral process would have caught such blatant stealing, especially since most of his doctorate was taken from just two other sources. I find it reprehensible that anyone would plagiarize, but even more so that someone who aspires to a doctorate would climb on the backs of others to do so.

I have often thought about plagiarism and how it is a cancer to our society. It is only a few words, correct? So how could it be so cancerous? Why kick up such a fuss about it? Le bon Dieu est dans le détail... The Good God is in the detail -- Gustave Flaubert (Madam Boavary) -- some attribute it to mean when something is done, it should be carried out thoroughly and to the best of one's ability, with trustworthiness.

The bible says if you can't trust a man in the small things, then you certainly can't trust him in the big things. Someone else said that character is what a man does when he thinks no one is watching. I wish I knew who said that so I could give credit where credit is due, because it is so true. It's in the little things where you know you can trust a person. The AP story today just proves another biblical truth, that nothing done in secret remains secret, but the full light of truth will shine upon it sometimes sooner than later. Plagiarism is stealing, plain and simple.

Stealing is not in the eye of the beholder.

When you walk away from the bank with their pen in your hand, is it stealing when the bank's logo is on the pen?

When you take several little cups of creamers from the restaurant table "for later", is it stealing?

When you take the shampoo and lotion left for you by the hotel, is that stealing? What about taking a towel and wash cloth... or the bathrobe?

When you've had pot luck at a club meeting or gathering and you load your plate down with left overs to take home, is that stealing?

When you take a hymnal home from church, is that stealing? What about sheet music or other music?

Hosea 4:2 By swearing and lying, Killing and stealing and committing adultery, They break all restraint, With bloodshed upon bloodshed.

Another saying comes to mind: The devil is in the details. It certainly looks that way today.

Swimsuit trauma...

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Burgess) — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 13:00:00 +0000

I have saved this piece since my very first computer way back in 1985 or thereabouts. I think this is one of the most hilarious pieces I have ever read... Perhaps because I can so identify with this mature woman.

From Australia...

The Bathing Suit

I have just been through the annual pilgrimage of torture and humiliation known as buying a bathing costume. When I was a child in the 1950's, the bathing costume for a woman with a mature figure was designed for a woman with a mature figure - boned, trussed and reinforced, not so much sewn as engineered. They were built to hold back and uplift and they did a bloody good job.

Today's stretch fabrics are designed for the prepubescent girl with a figure chipped from marble. The mature woman has a choice - she can either front up at the maternity department and try on a floral costume with a skirt, coming away looking like a hippopotamus who escaped from Disney's Fantasia - or she can wander around every run-of-the-mill department store trying to make a sensible choice from what amounts to a designer range of fluorescent rubber bands.

What choice did I have? I wandered around, made my sensible choice and entered the chamber of horrors known as the fitting room. The first thing I noticed was the extraordinary tensile strength of the stretch material. The Lycra used in bathing costumes was developed, I believe, by NASA to launch small rockets from a slingshot, which give the added bonus that if you manage to actually lever yourself into one, you are protected from shark attacks. The reason for this is
that a shark taking a swipe at your passing midriff would immediately suffer whiplash.

I fought my way into the bathing costume, but as I twanged the shoulder strap into place I gasped in horror - my bosom had disappeared. Eventually I found one bosom cowering under my left armpit. It took awhile to find the other. At last I located it flattened beside my seventh rib. The problem is that modern bathing suits have no bra cups. The mature woman is meant to wear her bosom spread across her chest like a speed hump.

I re-aligned my speed hump and lurched toward the mirror to take a full-view assessment. The bathing costume fitted all right, but unfortunately it only fitted those bits of me willing to stay inside it. The rest of me oozed out rebelliously from top, bottom and sides. I looked like a lump of play dough wearing undersize cling wrap.

As I tried to work out where all those extra bits had come from, the prepubescent salesgirl popped her head through the curtains, "Oh, there YOU are!" she said, admiring the bathing suit. I replied that I wasn't so sure and asked what else she had to show me.

I tried on a cream crinkled one that made me look like a lump of masking tape, and a floral two piece which gave the appearance of an oversize napkin in a serviette ring. I struggled into a pair of leopard skin bathers with a ragged frill and came out looking like Tarzan's Jane on a bad day.

I tried a black number with a midriff and looked like a jellyfish in mourning. I tried on a bright pink pair with such a high-cut leg I thought I would have to wax my eyebrows to wear them. Finally I found a costume that fit...a two-piece affair with shorts-style bottoms and a halter top. It was cheap, comfortable and bulge-friendly, so I bought it.

When I got home, I read the label which said "Material may become transparent in water", but I'm determined to wear it anyway. I just have to learn to breaststroke in the sand.

Community: Take your small group off life support by Brad House

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Burgess) — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 23:18:00 +0000

Add caption

In Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, he admonishes and corrects these new Christians not because he wanted them to accomplish more good works, but because he deeply desired that they be more than just good works. Brad House reflects on this theme in his book on how Christians in small groups can be more than just Christians in ordinary small groups meeting needs. He states in the introduction to the book, “I want to bring together theology and ministry philosophy with practical application and strategy that is worked out with effectiveness” (House, 2011, p. 22). We consistently live and work within small groups whether they are educational classes, mission groups, church committees, car pools, family, and any number of other types of gatherings. This book is essential for church group leaders and members to study because church is a community of God’s people working within God’s purposes. Christian communication scholars should study the precepts in this book in order to develop an alignment of human to God thought processes.

To view small group dynamics through the eyes of Jesus empowers Christians to a better understanding not only of Christ, but our earthly and eternal purpose because Jesus came to give those who are called by His name abundant life which is powered by the Holy Spirit’s indwelling who exalts Jesus and magnifies the Father. Viewing small groups the way God designed them, especially in the book of Acts, empowers secular scholars to see perfect community generally called group dynamics. House deftly focuses group dynamics through the lens of Jesus with the main theme throughout the book being that of repentance and having Christ the head as well as the center of each group.

Overview

In his book, Brad House basically shakes the Etch-A-Sketch of today’s church community groups and redraws the small group dynamics using biblical principles and standards; and he defines groups (care groups, focus groups, study groups, community groups, and the like) as the New Testament church was developed by the words of Jesus and the ministering of the Apostles. As House points out, the small group of 120 members almost immediately blossomed by 3,000 on the day of Pentecost and then again growing by 5,000 as recorded in Acts 4, eventually growing into a megachurch down through the centuries which has shaped human history. We can draw a conclusion from this that, as God designed them, small groups work wonders. House goes back to basics by using the Apostle Peter’s definition of church:

1Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's possession, so that you may proclaim the virtues of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light, 10 who once were not a people, but now are the people of God, the ones who were not shown mercy, but now are shown mercy. 11 Dear friends, I urge you as foreigners and temporary residents to abstain from fleshly desires which wage war against your soul, 12 maintaining your good conduct among the Gentiles, so that in the things in which they slander you as evildoers, by seeing your good deeds they may glorify God on the day of visitation. (Lexham English Bible)

Using this scaffold, he builds community group structure.

House (2011) pours the foundation for small groups within the church by addressing the purpose they have and the needs small groups can fill through the group identity of Christ not Christian identity. The difference is Christians are human and fallible, but Christ is perfect with perfect design. There is also a multi-faceted purpose in how small groups interact with each other as well as in other functions of the church such as worshiping and preaching. The final outcome should be “transformation in the lives of all disciples” (p. 23), not how many good works the group did. He points out that our modern way of doing church and community has hamstrung small groups due to systems and programs with no real anchor in who they are in Christ.

The second key concept is building upon the foundation with the mortar and bricks of biblical principles of community. He illustrates the need for a solid look at what church is offering by way of real community through the plumb line of Peter’s definition of church. He notes tactical avenues to understand the basic functionality of community which creates an environment which encourages ownership, involvement, and ingenuity. House discusses God-ordained functions of small groups and correlates those functions grounded in God-breathed principles from the Bible. One of these aspects is his discussion of bridges and barriers.

The last concept is the organic structure of God-centered groups. Repentance is the major running theme in the book, and church small groups must have that heart transplant in order to overcome the initial resistance to change which all churches undergo. He offers some realistic examples of how to break out of the old boxes and inspire incorporation of new models of community based on the New Testament church; however, I will discuss how he uses some communication theory to support his structure. He points out the decision to follow the biblical way of community rather than the program-oriented ways church works under today takes contrition, prayer, dedication and endurance. This moves small group community into a godly realm.

The Straight Dope

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Burgess) — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 16:25:00 +0000

You may or may not have heard of this insightful site The Straight Dope. I found it while looking for a reference for one of my columns and got sidetracked again. Rarely do the high and mighty columnists take their readers seriously enough to actually post comments from their readers on certain columns of interest. Dear Abby has to because that is their column. But this little side trip caused me to think about something I hadn't thought of in a long time.

The rural areas of our country are considered hick and backward when in actual fact may be far more advanced than the suburban counterparts due to numerous reasons. Let me count some ways...

1. Rural people are more sociable than suburban people -- we don't see each other often because we live so far apart. If it's within hollering distance, then we'll shout out their name and a friendly hello, but suburban people just nod and maybe smile at their neighbors as they hurry off to do whatever.

2. Rural people have less acid reflux -- I don't know if that is because there are less people in rural areas than in suburban areas, but the numbers don't lie. This surely means rural people have less stress. This must be because we rarely have traffic jams, and if two cars are stopped in the road, we get out and join the conversation.

3. Rural people know their banker, their auto mechanic, their pharmacist and doctor by their first names, and not just their cosmetologist. If fact, most of us would probably say, "Cosmo what? I don't go in for all that astrology stuff."

4. Rural people take a long time to shop at Walmart because we see people we know and have to stop and chat.

5. Rural people know that our neighbors are looking out for us because we can't go barefoot in the front yard without someone saying something about it at church.

6. Rural people have computers and internet but we still take time to chat across the back fence.

7. Rural people aren't in such a huge hurry. Seeing the trees wave to God on a windy day reminds us of Who is really in control.

I am sure there are suburban folks that are truly close to God, but I don't see them exhibiting it very much. Of course, I don't live in the big city, just a little, insignificant town called Picayune.

The sad slide of journalism into a mucky mire

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Burgess) — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 21:12:00 +0000

When exactly did journalism slide into the mucky dregs of so-so-ism, and flagrant misrepresentation of facts? George Clooney's arrest brought this to my mind, well not really. It was the ABC's Otus report that brought it to my mind.The story starts out good, then we see this paragraph placed in # 3 spot. This means, that at least 1/3 of the story is about what is said in this paragraph. So we're on the same page:

Also among those arrested as a mob of reporters and cameramen looked on were Clooney's Father Nick Clooney; President of United to End Genocide and former Congressman Tom Andrews; Congressmen Jim McGovern, D-MA, Al Green, D-TX, Jim Moran, D-VA., and John Olver D-MA; Martin Luther King III, NAACP President Ben Jealous; and Enough Project Co-Founder John Prendergast, according to a police statement.

Does that make your ears prick up? Do you just want to click on the link and read about these congressmen who got arrested, too? Did they pay the $100? Oh, you don't know about that, yet until you get past the third paragraph.

The rest of the story is about celebrities and their agendas, only the writer actually means their charities, and mostly about Clooney's concern for the Sudan and the charity Enough Project. That's all well and good, but it isn't how the story began or what it emphasized at the beginning albeit in the third paragraph. In journalism, you start with the bare facts, what is most important and you make sure that you don't digress into afterthoughts, or side trails until the third from last paragraph. The same holds true for feature stories, too. It's just basic journalism, but I guess things have changed in the last three years since I was lifestyles editor... or has it? In my opinion, journalism has sunk to a new low, and I'm almost positive there is no way to pull it out of the mucky mire.

Our right to know...

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Burgess) — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 16:40:00 +0000

I noticed a news article last week that stated...

We have a right to know when someone in our neighborhood has been arrested for a sex offense, and a right to know when a school principle has been arrested for a DUI.

Do we really? What is the exact purpose of an arrest? The FreeDictionary states:

The purpose of an arrest is to bring the arrestee before a court or otherwise secure the administration of the law. An arrest serves the function of notifying the community that an individual has been accused of a crime and also may admonish and deter the arrested individual from committing other crimes. Arrests can be made on both criminal charges and civil charges, although civil arrest is a drastic measure that is not looked upon with favor by the courts. The federal Constitution imposes limits on both civil and criminal arrests.

photo by Stuart Miles

So we are all on the same page as to the purposes of an arrest, it also states that it is to alert the community that the person is being charged with a criminal offense. So, according to this definition, we have the right to know, because it is one of the stated purposes.

But what if the police get it wrong? What if they focus on a culprit because statistics say that person is most likely to have committed the crime? I'm just wondering how many people have been accused and then later it is discovered that the butler really didn't murder the maid in the dining room with the knife? By the time the error is discovered, that principle has lost his job, or that teacher has been robbed of her career. Because there is a taint on their reputation, they can't go back to business as usual. It isn't only the police that get it wrong.

My major concern here is that our news is becoming more and more opinionated; and that innuendo is ruling the roost rather than hard facts. Take Herman Cain for instance. He backed out of the race because the innuendo was too hard to overcome. No one was listening to the facts... or were they? Is our media becoming too biased? Is the American public still smart enough to decipher between opinion and fact?

Yellow journalism is not new. Sensationalism has always sold more papers than dry, boring facts presented in dry, boring words. Now that the internet has taken over the way people get their news, and it's more convenient to have a headline pop up on your phone than to sit quietly with coffee and the newspaper in the morning, we have news companies vying for your attention. What better way than to take on the irresponsible tactics of the National Enquirer, or other rag?

The question here is how do self-respecting citizens command more responsible reporting? Is there a way we can make journalists quit reporting from their own bias? Take a look at the different kinds of bias.
I never realized how much "bias" there is! I found an interesting article that talked about the different 'types' of bias with examples of each:

Bias by commission

Bias by omission

Bias by story selection

Bias by placement

Bias by the selection of sources

Bias by spin

Bias by labeling

Bias by policy endorsement or condemnation

(Baker).

Have you detected any of these lately?

Interview with Bob Liparulo

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Burgess) — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 22:10:00 +0000

I just got an email from Bob Liparulo who's about to release his new book which is far different from his last 7 books. It's called The 13th Tribe. I know you'll love it because I have loved every book he's written. It has just got to be good. So I thought I'd share this short question and answer after Bob's first book was published.

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Okay, so it's not an in depth interview. But, I had the opportunity to ask questions, so I asked one.

Gina: Bob, I didn’t think I had any questions, but actually, I do. I would like to know what you learned through the process of writing your book. I’m not talking about research… What things did you learn about yourself and about God that are not too personal and that you’d like to share?

Bob: Your question is great. Boy, did I learn a lot about my relationship with God during the writing of Comes a Horseman. It would take a book to cover it all, but here are the two most important things: I need to invite God to sit with me while I write, all the time; and it’s OK to write for the purpose of entertaining readers. These two things are interconnected. For a long time I struggled with using the gifts God gave me to write to entertain. I thought I must be interpreting my feelings wrongly, because I honestly felt that I should focus on giving readers the most entertainment/enjoyment from my writing, and not so much that I needed to evangelize or make sure God was in every scene. It seemed contrary to what I knew of God’s gifts: that they are meant to advance His kingdom. This is true, but I didn’t understand how truly powerful He is, that He could be present in anything He wanted to be in, including entertainment that did not overtly speak His name. He gave me an image of the mountains: They are testament to His greatness, His existence, His majesty, His truths—without His name being carved in letters fifty feet high. Through a number of things, including prayer, the wisdom of friends, and some articles I read, I came to realize that it was OK to say at the end of the day, “Is this entertaining? Will this make readers glad they read it?” He has put on my heart that He will be present in my writing even without my trying to put Him there. And part of that is simply inviting Him to be there while I write and focus on entertainment. For a while, I think (without truly being aware I was doing it) I left my faith at the door when I went to write. This was partly because of what I said above, struggling with the conflict between the desire to write entertainment and the opinion that I should be evangelizing more overtly. Once I settled the issue of entertainment, I found myself actively inviting God to sit with me, be with me. It has lead to much more peace about what I do than I had before. God is great!

I hope this answers your question.
Blessings to you,
Bob

Oh, you answered my question, Bob. Thanks! What a great devotional to understand that it's okay to entertain and that God will be with us without our "evangelizing more overtly". Someone once told me that she tried to make sure every person she met, met Jesus through her. Ever since then, I've tried to do the same. Look for God, share God and not just the victory or the miracle for that is what He brings with Him. Selah.

10 steps to wise decision making

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Burgess) — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 15:30:00 +0000

This process can be applied to any situation where you need to make an important decision. If you follow these ten basic steps, you will find yourself making wiser decisions in your professional as well as your personal life. Just remember, Proverbs 16:33 The lot is cast into the lap, But its every decision is from the LORD. When a person slogs through life being blown by every wind, it is sadly a lack of asking for godly wisdom.

Define, as specifically as possible, what the decision is that needs to be made. Is this really your decision or someone else's? Do you really need to make a decision? (If you do not have at least two options, there is no decision to be made.) When does the decision need to be made? Why is this decision important to you? Who will be affected by this decision? What values does this decision involve for you?

Daniel 4:17 'This decision is by the decree of the watchers, And the sentence by the word of the holy ones, In order that the living may know That the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, Gives it to whomever He will, And sets over it the lowest of men.'

Write down as many alternatives as you can think of. Brainstorm as many different alternatives as you can imagine. Let your imagination run free and try not to censure anything; this is not the time to be judgmental. Just be sure to write everything down.

2 Samuel 24:12 "Go and tell David, 'Thus says the LORD: "I offer you three things;choose one of them for yourself, that I may do it to you." ' " Notice in the following verses, those choices were not pleasant. Seven years of famine in Israel, three months of running from his enemies, or three days of plague. David wisely chose to fall into God’s hands. 2 Samuel 24:14 And David said to Gad, "I am in great distress. Please let us fall into the hand of the LORD, for His mercies are great; but do not let me fall into the hand of man."

Think where you could find more information about possible alternatives. If you only come up with a few options, you may want to get more information. Additional information generally leads to more alternatives. One of the most accurate places is through prayer. God will call to your mind things that you may have forgotten, or lead you to a source you never knew about.

Psalm 121: 1 I will lift up mine eyes unto the LORD, from whence cometh my help.

Write down all of your options, then sort through them. Now that you have your list of alternatives, it is time to begin evaluating them to see which one works for you. Beside each option, write down the values that would come into play for each alternative: morals, principles, monetary cost, and things not so obvious such as how that decision would effect family, spouse, children, parents. Second, look for the alternatives which would allow you to use the greatest number of your values. Third, cross the alternatives off the list which do not fit into your personal value framework.

David chose to put himself in God’s hand over and over again. Joseph reaped the huge benefit of forgiveness toward his brothers. Boaz reaped the benefit of choosing family duty and he stands in the lineage of Jesus. (Of course, Ruth’s beauty was also an added benefit.)

Visualize the outcomes of each alternative. For each remaining alternative on your list, picture what the outcome of that alternative will look like. Here, too, it helps if you write out your impressions. Jeremiah hashed out his question to God, “Why do the wicked prosper?” In chapter 12, he drew the complete picture.

Do a reality check. Which of your remaining alternatives are most likely to happen? Sometimes it is fun to daydream about beaches and mountains or winning the lottery, but reality eventually sets in so cross off those alternatives that most likely will not happen to you.

Job 42:1-6 Then Job answered the LORD and said: 2 "I know that You can do everything, And that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You. 3 You asked, 'Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?' Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. 4 Listen, please, and let me speak; You said, 'I will question you, and you shall answer Me.' 5 "I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, But now my eye sees You. 6 Therefore I abhor myself, And repent in dust and ashes."

Which alternative fits you? Review your remaining alternatives and decide which ones feel most comfortable to you. These are your wise decisions. If you are very happy about a decision, but are not as comfortable with its possible outcome, this is a clue that this is not a wise decision for you. On the other hand, you may dislike an alternative, but be very excited about the possible outcome. This decision would probably not be wise for you either. If you feel you can not only live with both the alternative as well as the possible outcome, but are also excited about it, then this is the wise decision you should follow. Remember God is most present in a decision when we are fearful we can accomplish it. This makes much more room for God to work, and lessens our vise-like grasp on the reins. Exodus 3:11 But Moses said to God, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?" 12 So He said, "I will certainly be with you. And this shall be a sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain."

Get started! Once you have made your decision, get moving on it. Worrying or second-guessing yourself will only cause grief. You have done your very best for the present. Trust God to let you know you must make a change in direction for He absolutely will if your desire is to obey Him. Remember, no decision is set in stone, except those decreed by God, of course. Exodus 4:18 So Moses went and returned to Jethro his father-in-law, and said to him, "Please let me go and return to my brethren who are in Egypt, and see whether they are still alive." And Jethro said to Moses, "Go in peace." God gave Moses a clear plan of action. His bullet points were the plagues ending with the Angel of Death moving through Egypt taking all the first born.

How is it going? Be sure to review your decision at pre-determined points along the road. Are the outcomes what you expected? Are you happy with the outcomes? Do you want to let the decision stand or would you like to make some adjustments? If the decision did not come out the way you planned, go through the complete decision-making process again. In the process, answer the following questions: Did I not have enough information? What values actually came into play? Were they my values or someone else's? Remember, God is very generous with godly wisdom, so never stop asking Him for it. He will guide you as no other can.

Harry Reid! How dare you?

noreply@blogger.com (Gina Burgess) — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 23:27:00 +0000

Harry Reid just said that the uproar over contraceptives was from "just a small part of the Republican Party".

Really??? There are numerous Democrats who believe in the sanctity of life. It is not just a Left or Right, Liberal or Conservative issue!

I'm so angry right now about that statement that I'd love to give him a call and give him a huge piece of my Christian, godly, sanctity-of-life-loving mind!