Sluggard

I've been really busy the last couple months. Ive had more work than usual and I've been changing how I do some other things...so as I looked at what is to be my garden this year I felt very much like a sluggard. Don't get me wrong, I've been doing things to get it ready for planting, it's just that I dont have much planted. The weather has been so warm. Beautiful weather for growing. However, today I get to embrace the sluggard in me. The weather turned cold. Last night was 29 degrees. Much too cold for most veggies. I feel pretty good that I didnt get those things planted. I must remember that June 1 is the day to plant.

Heresies Heresies Here and There

Many times I have heard christians talk about how they follow the bible only. That Jesus is the only one that they follow. That they don't follow a man...as if this is somehow not only the right thing, the correct doctrine, but somehow makes them better than those other believers who don't follow what they consider to be "correct doctrine".
Often considering themselves not only better than other believers, but to then say that the other believers are not really believers because they don't hold to the same private interpretations. I am weary of this and so tonight I'm gonna just write about what I think is the truth...according to the scriptures...and if you dont agree with me...its okay...I believe in soul liberty...unlike Diotrephes.

Are believers not supposed to "follow a man"? Are they to be under the authority of Christ alone as their Head?
The answer according to the scriptures. It is never taught one single place in the bible that believers, whether they be Old Testament or New, are not supposed to follow other men. Yes there are scriptures which can be personally interpreted to mean that, but they can also be interpreted otherwise.

1) Eve was to follow Adam.
2) Men were supposed to follow Noah.
3) They were supposed to follow Moses.
4) Joshua was another leader they were to obey.
5) David
6) Solomon
7) The Prophets

Here in the Old Testament were leaders...there were others who were to be obeyed as well.
God has always used men as leaders of His people...this truth has not changed.

Yes, we are supposed to follow Christ. Yes, He is the Authority. Yes, the Bible is His words and we should do our best to obey them as He leads...BUT...

1)2 Thess 3:7 For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you;

I would suggest further study of the rest of the chapter. Its rather obvious, that these men considered themselves to be in a position of authority...based upon their behavior.

2) Heb 13:7 Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.

Well, if the most obstinate, hard-headed believer ought to be able to understand this verse clearly.

3) 3 John tells the story of two men, both believers...one of them, Diotrephes is behaving poorly...John calls his actions "evil"...the other man, Demetrius has a "good report of all men"...John then tells the believers..."follow not that which is evil, but that which is good"...he effectively split the church.

The point here is that the believers were supposed to follow...a man...a good man.

4) 1 Tim 3:5 shows clearly that A) there are bishops (baptists call them "pastors") and B) these men are leaders who are supposed to be able to "take care" of the church of God. They should do this not as Diotrephes, but as Demetrius.

5) 1Tim 5:17 Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.

Well...that's interesting isnt it? Elders ruling? Double honor? I know a lot of pastors who'd be happy with just a little honor.

6) Heb 13:17 Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.

Obey and submit...rather strong words, huh?

7) Heb 13:24 Salute all them that have the rule over you, and all the saints. They of Italy salute you.

What does "have the rule over you" mean?

8)1Co 4:16 Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.

I guess Paul is a liar.

9)Php 4:9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

Hmmm...I think Paul is confused...believers are supposed to "do" what he says...

10)1Thess 4:1 Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.

You want to walk to please God? listen to Paul.

11) 2Tim 2:7 Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things.

Want understanding? Consider Paul's words.

12) 2Tim 4:17 Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.

You want to fully know? Understand the preaching? Follow Paul.

Further study.
(1Co 11:1) Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.
(Php 3:17) Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.
(1Th 1:6) And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost:
(1Th 2:14) For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God which in Judaea are in Christ Jesus: for ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews:

So...does the bible really say that you're not supposed to follow a man?

Books by men are good. The bible says that we have been given teachers as a gift, but...

(2Tim 2:15) Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Don't lie to yourself anymore.

Janet Reno, Mister Rogers, the Bible & the Fool

Prove all things, hold fast that which is good. 1 Thess. 5:21.
Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth. Proverbs 20:26.

I am a fool. Have you ever been lied to and found out later that you'd believed a lie?

Years ago I got an email stating that Janet Reno had said on 60 Minutes that, "all people who believed many of the things which I believe were all part of a dangerous cult." I believed it. And I repeated it till one day someone told me it wasnt true. There was no proof that it had ever been said. I went home and began searching for the truth and sure enough it was not true. I felt like such a fool. I'd heard preachers talk about it from the pulpits and I had believed it.

Then along came Y2K and I believed a lot it. I thought something was probaby going to happen...but it didn't.

I began to realize that most of purveyors of gloom and doom and often anger and division were doing it solely for one reason...that's how they made their money.

I've become quite cynical now of a lot of what I hear and see. I've become good at checking the facts...but I still blow it. I still play the part of the fool.

Recently I spoke with a group of men and I repeated something which I had been told...it seems silly now. I was told that Mister Rogers of Children's TV fame was actually a former Marine and the reason he always wore long sleeves was because he had tattoos all over his arms and he felt that as a role-model he should cover the tattoos.
On my way home that night I realized that I hadnt checked this story for accuracy and I started getting a bad feeling...As soon as I got home I began researching and soon enough discovered that I am just a talebearing fool. I called the next day to apologize to those to whom I had repeated the story.

Today, I was exposed to more stories. Stories about politics which thing I have truly come to detest. Today, I checked my facts first...Thank you Janet Reno, Mister Rogers and the Bible for helping this Fool to remember to Prove All Things.

Cabbages, Potatos, Cauliflower and Pigs?

Well, its 4am. Couldnt sleep. Thinking about spring, thinking about the garden. I want to try planting potatoes on top the soil this year and covering them with newspaper and last autumns leaves and things, maybe grass clippings too. I think my soil may have remnants of last years blight so Im guessing that I'll need to pick a different plot to start new.
Thinking about getting a couple little piggies and putting then in one of last years garden spots. I think it might be fun.

Doing a lot of thinking right now. After all it is 4am....

Cuticles, Kindness and Mrs Hiedenreich

Well...where to begin. Cuticles, Kindness and Mrs Heidenreich. Cuticles are the skin at the edge of ones fingernails just where they emerge from under your skin. I was told by a girl I dated a long time ago, (it's been 23 years since then) that I had really nice fingernails...for a guy that is. She then explained to me that it was rare to see guys whose cuticles were so well manicured.
Well, of all the things to be vain about I had never really considered my fingernails and in fact I had never really taken notice of my fingernails, but for some reason this girl had noticed and the entire time we dated she made a point of showing my hands to her girlfriends..."Oh so this is the guy with the cute nails" is not really what a twenty-one year old young man wants to hear from the ladies.
Anyway, the first time she mentioned this to me I explained to her that when I was in fourth grade in 1976 my teacher was a woman name Mrs Heidenreich...the name still brings chills. Mrs Heidenreich was old-old-school. A classic German woman, Authoritative and strict. Each morning she walked the aisles between our desks with her old pointer stick in hand. She never used that pointer for anything but pointing, but we all knew what she could do with it and we respected that greatly. As she walked the aisles we were required to have our hands on our desks palms down and she would inspect our fingernails to make sure they were clean. She had shown us all at the beginning of the school year how to push our cuticles back properly so that dirt would have no hiding place...and to this day I inspect my nails and cuticles as if a hundred year old Heidenreich might walk by with her pointer.
That was Mrs H's (dont tell her I called her that) last year as a teacher, she retired that year and we moved from the elementary to the middle school. But she has impacted me ever since.
I consider her actions then to have been a real and genuine kindness. She taught us respect for authority and she taught us to form some good habits, which in time brought complements and respect from others.
We were all told that she was mean, but truthfully...she wasn't mean. She never said a mean word to any of us, but she also got the best from us, because we respected her...even though we didnt much like her. But she was a good teacher. And behind it all was a heart of kindness played out in action rather than feelings and words.