Dementia for 2

I recently started a Bible Study based on Elizabeth George's book, " Loving God With All Your Mind".  I think this will be a very thought provoking study based on the first 2 chapters that we have read. 


She is speaking about her own depression and what enabled her to overcome it. The beginning chapters are based on Philippians 4:8 " Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."

While reading Oswald Chambers the other day, I was struck by how often we bring one another down with our sympathy. I have come to the conclusion that we as a whole tend to confuse sympathy and compassion.

I have been trying to sort this out in such a way that would make it easy for me to put into words. I am not sure if I have succeeded. Another word that is in this same category for me is empathy. I don't seem to be able to think of the other two without this one also.

Sympathy is sharing the feelings or emotions of another. The issue with sympathy is that it tends to spill over into gossip and can make us feel as though we are a victim depending on the circumstance. We also tend to use sympathy as a way to gain more information about a certain situation.

Empathy is more of an emotional understanding of another's situation. I think of empathy as more impersonal than compassion or sympathy. With empathy, you may have had a personal experience that allows you to really understand what another person is going through.

Compassion is a feeling of anguish for another along with a desire to help alleviate their suffering. You are sincere in your endeavors to help another in a painful situation.

I used to think that being a sympathetic person was a good thing. I thought I was conveying all the right things. Then I really started to think about the people involved. I realized that my sympathy was misplaced. There are people that just want to feed off of your sympathy. They are not interested in moving beyond the point they are in. I also realized that I was getting caught up in their saga and that is never a good thing.

I am learning to be more compassionate and empathetic without so much sympathy. It can be a very fine line between the three, but you can learn to distinguish between the three and covey what you truly mean without confusion.

Exactly what are idle words? What comes to mind when you heard that phrase?

I think of work. Rampant with rumors, gossip, and backbiting. Since there are so many employees, there is never a lack of something/someone to talk about. There are days when I just don't want to talk to anyone. I reach my threshold of trash talk if you will.

We are told that we are responsible for every word we speak. This has given me great pause as of late. When I think of all the idle words I speak in just one day it can be convicting to say the least.But, is it just words that we are responsible for? What about idle thoughts? Thoughts of ill will or what ifs or if onlys? How do we handle those instances?

How can we curb all of this? I study and read the Word and still can't control my mouth much less my brain. It can be quite daunting to have the "mind of God" when you are bombarded at every twist and turn in the journey of life. It seems as though we never really conquer anything.

I have been talking with God lately about my idle words and in the process have become a quieter person. For those that know me, you know I can be quite loquacious. I am hoping that I don't become rude in the process of curbing my mouth, another tendency of mine. As you can surmise, this is going to be a prolonged process to say the least.

The goal is to only have interesting and uplifting things to say/think. I just hope the process doesn't become a hopeless situation.

As if I am not reading enough books I have picked up "The Ten Commandments" by Thomas Watson. I love reading the Puritans. Those guys go straight for the jugular!

I have just started reading this so I am still going through the intro (55 pages thank you very much). Watson has some very interesting things to say about obedience. He asks some very thought provoking questions as well as providing answers that just leave you begging for forgiveness.

One of the questions he asks is "Why don't we obey God?". He only lists 2 reasons which really cut to the heart of the matter.

1) Lack of faith. The thought of heaven and hell seems so abstract to most that they just don't believe in either.

2) Lack of self-denial. To quote Watson, "If lusts cannot be denied, God cannot be obeyed."
When I think of lusts, I think of the "biggies". Adultery, idolatry, murder, etc. But, there are other lusts that can be just as dangerous. Things that we do everyday without even thinking about them. "White lies", envy, harsh words, wrong thoughts, the list goes on and on.

So, how do you deny those lusts? How can you get to the point that you have only Godly thoughts? How does your obedience get to the point that it is cheerful, devout, fervent extensive and sincere? That is a very tall list and one that I don't know that I can ever fully accomplish.

I hope that you will stay with me as I learn more about the Ten Commandments and how to live a life of obedience!

If you care to read along with me, you can read this for free at the below link.

The Ten Commandments

Today I was studying about faithfulness. Paul speaks of faithfulness as a fruit of the Spirit. A gift from God.

When I think of being faithful, I think of my own faithfulness. Just how faithful am I? Am I faithful in church? What about tithing or my relationship with God? There are other things that also come to mind. Very mundane things, everyday life things. Things like paying bills or cooking or cleaning house or spending time with family. How faithful am I in even those things?

Sadly, I fall short in every scenario. I think most of us do. I could use all sorts of excuses or give a plethora of actual reasons as to why or why not I am faithful. But, the truth is, I am weak. I allow myself to be too easily distracted or put the important things off for the end of the day.

When I think of God's faithfulness, I am in awe. He is steadfast in His faithfulness. It never falters or wavers. Does this mean that true faithfulness is unattainable? I don't think so. I think that we have to really look within ourselves and see what our priorities are. Faithfulness to God requires discipline and constant nurturing and thought. Saving the best for last is not always the right thing to do.

My grandmother always eats her dessert first. God is our dessert. If we are to grow in our faithfulness, we should savor the sweet time with Him. By spending time first with Him, we are better prepared for the days obstacles.

Easy peasy right?

When you think of being kind, what comes to your mind? This is a discussion I have been having with others lately. The answers have been as varied as the individuals. I must confess I myself seem to have a perverted sense of just exactly what this word means.

According to the dictionary, the word kind means:

1. Of a friendly, generous, or warm-hearted nature.
2. Showing sympathy or understanding; charitable: a kind word.
3. Humane; considerate: kind to animals.
4. Forbearing; tolerant.
5. Generous; liberal.
6. Agreeable; beneficial.

The reason that I bring this up is a study I have been doing on the Fruit of the Spirit. One of the characteristics listed is kindness. I have put this study down because I have realized that I do not want to be kind. I consider it a sign of weakness. I see kind people pushed around all day and I do not want that to be me. But God desires that I be a kind person.

I keep running all these scenarios in my mind and I always seem to feel angry and defensive just thinking about them. To be kind in the face of rudeness or verbal abuse or just plain indifference is a very daunting task.

To be kind I have to be forbearing when my husband speaks to me in a sharp or condescending tone unnecessarily. I have to have a warm heated nature in spite of the things that are being said or done to me. That is definitely not in my nature. I am more apt to tell you exactly what I think and can be quite sharp in doing so.
I do not want to come across as a cold hearted person but at the same time I do not want to be a doormat either.

Kindness is more about actions to me but I am coming to the realization that kindness is about words and attitude also. Some of the people I have spoken with have politeness confused with kindness. While I do feel that these two things can go hand in hand, I also think you have have one without the other.

I tend to use my work environment as an excuse for being unkind. The problem with that is that Christ walked with the lowest of the low and still remained kind.That tells me that it is possible to be kind regardless of your environment. I also want to use my past as a crutch. While my past has shaped me it does not have to rule me.

I am not sure if I will be able to understand enough to conquer my trepidation over this issue. I do know that God has convicted me about this and if I am to progress in my journey, I must make some changes in my thinking.

While I was studying the Word today, I learned that the reason we are to "count it all joy", is because we are drawn closer to the Lord during our times of trouble. Now I know many of you may already know this, but, to me it was a real eye opener.

I hear others and have been guilty of saying this verse a bit mordantly. I think it is because we are trying to keep from wallowing in our own self pity. But with all that has happened in my life in just the last 2 months, I do feel closer to God. So, I am learning that as I discover more about Him, I am able to feel joy despite the situation at the moment. When all this is over, and it will be eventually, I will be closer to God and stronger in my faith. That is the prize.

Now for a few updates on what is going on. Hubs talked with the bank and we are eligible for the 3000 in moving expenses which is a true blessing! At least now we know we will have the money to move.....where to I still don't know. We are required to list the house with a Realtor for at least 120 days. I don't know if it will take that long or even longer to sell. We will be allowed to stay in the house until it sells which is good for us. If it takes longer than 120 days, I am not sure what the next step is as of yet.

We have been looking at apartments and rental homes that would be close to both of our places of employment. Since we have decided to go down to one vehicle, this is a must. With property in our part of the country being at a premium, rental property is quite high. So we have decided to go much smaller. I have already started calling people to see if they need anything we would have to part with. What I cannot give away to family and friends, I will be donating to charity. I thought of having a moving sale, but the weather is just not conducive at this time for all that.

I did break down in the kitchen last night. Sometimes, it is hard to keep up my "game face". While I don't want to cry in front of others, there are times when it is hard to keep it all in.

My daughter has agreed to co-sign on an apartment for us if we need her to. Since this and other things in our past has basically shot our credit, this is a real comfort for us to know she is willing to do this for us. I am praying that it doesn't come to that. Hopefully, once this is all over we can start working on repairing some of that mess.

I do so appreciate all of the comments and words of encouragement that all of you have taken the time to send to me. They mean so much right now. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we move on to the next step in this process.

Apparently the saga from my previous post is going to continue for at least one more post.

I am in the middle of a Beth Moore study on the Fruit of the Spirit. Most of us know the list Paul gives in Gal. 5:22-23. The first on the list is love. There are many types of love as you also know.

She chose to tackle the physical side of human love first. I will try not to bore you with a lot of technical terms. I am into word study so while I find it quite interesting, others may be bored to tears. To simplify things, you can read the Song of Solomon and see this type of love for yourself. In the Greek Eros is used to signify physical desire.
Then you have the Hebrew words used on the Songs which are dowd and rayah. Some other spellings for these 2 words are dod and raya.

I am not going to get into premarital sex and what all God says about that. We all know how He feels about it. The scriptures that are relevant to this post are 1 Cor. 7:3-6, Song of Solomon 1 and 4, and 1 Cor. 7:7.

What she says is this: "According to these Scriptures, an ongoing deprivation of your mate for inappropriate reasons could be considered a unique form of adultery." Say what?!

So I started thinking of all the things we put before our mates. Our jobs, children, homes, friends, sports, cars, etc. How many of us are workaholics or sports nuts, or way too involved in the lives of our family and friends? How many of us put these things before our spouse? How many of us then have the audacity to ask them what is your problem?

I know our lives are busy and exhausting with just trying to survive. But, we do have a tendency to take the one that is supposed to mean the most to us for granted. Trust me, there will come a time when they won't be there and you will be left wondering what went wrong.

Before that time comes and you are brokenhearted, take some time with your mate. Do something with them that means something to them. Don't replace your intimacy with something or someone that isn't going to be there in 20 years. If you make your marriage vulnerable, it will break into a thousand pieces.

I know that it takes 2 but someone has to start the ball rolling. Fix yourself up and put on that song that used to do it for both of you. Have some fun and get close. Save what is important now.

I reread the story of Lot's wife the other day. Even though I know the story, some of the commentaries I read cast a new light on the whole scene for me.

I have always wondered why she looked back. She knew what would happen if she did yet she couldn't help herself. I seem to be the same way.

By looking back, she was longing for her past and what she was leaving behind. I also seem to be longing for the past and what could have been or what once was. This is a trap that we all fall into at one time or another. We all know we can't change the past, and yet, we still want to go there.

I personally think this is the enemy's way of getting us off the narrow path. Once we start dwelling on the past, then we lose sight of what is really important.

Now that I realize that I can do nothing without God, I continue to try and do it alone. Hence the present situation in my life.

Regardless of what happens next, I know that God is looking out for us and that I will get through it with Him at the helm. So, I have decided to lay off the salt.

Since reading about the plagues and the significance of them, I have been looking at my own "plagues". Some would say my own gods and they would be right. We all have things we put before our relationship with God. The question is which of these things has God used as a plague to us?

I seem to have quite a few of these things. God is constantly showing me that this is not my god. He is always using some circumstance that involves a particular plague of mine to show me that I am not putting Him first and that this thing will not replace Him.

I have always had a very caustic sense of humor. I cannot read Numbers 11 without laughing. It is one of my favorite stories. I am constantly reminding myself to be careful that today's Manna can be tomorrow's quail. I think that is what God does with me and my plagues. He gives them to me until they are coming out my nose and I beg for mercy and relief.

Some of my plagues are common to all of us. Money, family, emotional rulings, etc. But some I never considered before are education, personal time, the need for my "space", work. When I let these things interfere or become bigger in my life than my relationship with God, they become a plague. God basically says, " This is what you asked for Inge'. Get ready because here it comes!"

I have come a long way in some of these areas. But, in others , well let's just say my nose hurts.

Do you have any plagues in your life? Id God using them to show you He must be first if you are to really grow?

If you do any type of research on the plagues of Egypt, you will find many explanations for them. Some try to debunk them altogether. Others try to explain them through natural events. But, most will compare them to the gods of Egypt. There is great significance in the plagues that God chose to bring upon Egypt and the meaning behind them.

The first is not really a plague; it is more of a demonstration of God's power.

1. The snake. While the Bible doesn't say what type of snake Aaron's rod became, we know from history that the cobra was the predominate snake symbol in Egypt. The cobra was a symbol of power. Since Pharaoh wore a cobra on his head, this symbolizes God overcoming the power of Pharaoh.

2. The Nile turned to blood and all the fish died. This was a two-fold strike. First, the Nile is considered the "river of life" in Egypt. The god Hapi, the spirit of the Nile, was considered the "giver of life" to all men. You also have the fish goddess Hatmeyt involved.

3. Frogs. The fertility goddess Hekt supposedly played a part in creation. However, she could not control the abundance of these frogs.

4. Lice. The only thing I could find on this was the fact that the magicians could only attribute it to "the finger of God" since they could not duplicate it.

5. Flies/Beetles. Some scholars think that this plague may have been flies of beetles but, I think it was as God said flies. Some soldiers wore a golden fly as a symbol of bravery. However, I am not sure what the fly god's name is.

6. The Death of Cattle. There were several gods associated with cattle. The goddess of love, Hathor was worshipped by Pharaoh.

7. Boils. This was directed at the god of healing, Im-Hotep.

8. Hail. The sky goddess Nut was supposed to protect the land from heavenly destruction. (hail, rain, etc.) Incidentally, she is also the mother of the sun god Ra.

9. Locusts. The locust-headed god was Senehem. The bible states that the locusts were so thick that the sky was sun was darkened. This is also one of the attacks against Ra.

10. Darkness. This was a direct hit on Ra. He made all growth possible. You can find many writings on the sun god Ra. Pharaoh referred to himself as the "son of the sun". Because he was so revered, this had to have a devastating effect on the Egyptians.

11. Death of the firstborn. This is another fact that thee movies misconstrued. This is the death of ALL firstborn regardless of age. All firstborn children, and animals. When you think about this it can be quite overwhelming. Imagine your firstborn son dying as a baby or as a young man. What if you only have one cow and it is the first born? Or one goat? Your livelihood is gone! I read something I found quite interesting. The fact that Pharaoh's son died like the animals, proved he was not a god! The article stated that this was directed not only at Pharaoh who considered himself a god, but at his son the future god of Egypt.

Now that you know some of the significance of the plagues, I can continue my thoughts in part deaux of this article.

I have decided that I watched "The Ten Commandments" way too much as a child. I have learned so much while doing this study in Exodus!

I just finished reading chapters 7-10 in Exodus. This is the beginning of the plaques. I thought that when Moses and God spoke that Aaron would do the talking and Moses would get to do all the cool stuff. Well, after reading the Word, I realize that Charlton Heston has definitely clouded my thinking.

Aaron does do the talking but so does Moses. Moses does get to do some of the cool stuff but so does Aaron and, they also do some of it together. God also causes some of the plaques without either brother.

In chapter 7, we have the rod on the ground becoming a serpent. Aaron is the one that throws the rod down not Moses. Also in chapter 7, Aaron is the one that turns the Nile to blood. In chapter 8 we have Aaron causing the swarm of frogs and gnats. We also have the plaque of flies in chapter 8 but God does this one alone without either brother.

In chapter 9, God also causes the livestock to die. But, He uses Moses and Aaron to bring about the boils. God uses Moses to bring the hail at the end of chapter 9.

Chapter 10 brings the locusts and the darkness. Moses is the one used to do those.

I was amazed at the way God used both brothers in both roles to glorify Him. I cannot say that Pharaoh has surprised me that much. When I look at my own life and realize just how much I had hardened myself against God, I am only surprised that God never has given up on me.

What I have learned from Pharaoh is this: I have "bargained" with God far too much in my life. I have made too many promises that I did not keep. I just did not want to get off the fence. It was easier for me to say this and do that, than to be the woman I knew God wanted me to be. Suffice it to say, I have paid and in some cases I am still paying for those decisions. But, my faith is stronger and my love for the Lord is stronger and I know that I can get through this and much more with Him.

So, I guess I won't be watching as much tv in the future. Mom was right. It will rot your brain!

I was listening to James MacDonald this morning while throwing papers. Nothing like a good healthy dose of reality and conviction from God to start off your day.

He just started a new series on the book of Proverbs. While I enjoy Proverbs, and I almost always find something for someone else there, I was not prepared for what I heard the other day.

The first person I shared this with was my prayer partner. Since she derives great joy from spiritually killing me with Oswald Chambers, I figured I would return the favor:) I also felt compelled to share this with all of you. Spread the wealth if you will.

Let me start by saying that in my naivete, I thought only the unsaved could be considered fools or foolish. The saved were "babies" or "fallen" or "stumbling" anything but foolish. Suffice it to say, I now know differently.

The first feature of foolishness is:
1. Being offended at being ignored. "They didn't even thank me". "They didn't even bother to speak." "They didn't even notice my efforts." You get the idea.

2. Being offended at being insulted. You can ignore me but if you insult me....
This can be verbal or not.

3. Being afflicted. You can ignore me, even insult me, but if you inflict some type of pain on me.... I'm talking hurt pride, broken heart, hurt feelings, you understand. In some cases, there can be physical affliction, but that is better left to someone better equipped to discuss.

Now on to my personal confession. I have been having issues with all 3 of these lately. I cannot begin to describe how I felt when I realized that this is considered foolish behavior by God.

The point that MacDonald brings up, is that Christ went through all of this. He was ignored,insulted, and afflicted. What did he say to those that brought all this upon Him? NOTHING.

In my zeal to defend myself or justify my own actions or words, I forget that if I will just say nothing, do nothing, God WILL protect my reputation. He is faithful to His own. He protects His own and He will get my justice for me in a way that I could never devise on my own.

The problem is that I feel that I have to say something or do something. It is very hard to just take it. It goes against all of my human nature to do so. The good news is that God knows this. Because He knows this, He is willing to continue working on me and that always gives me hope.

You can go to Walk in the Word and download his sermons for free including this one.

If you read Exodus 3-4, you will find that this is where God instructs Moses to use his staff when he goes back to Egypt. The shepherd's staff is a very unique and useful tool. The staff is used to guide the sheep back into the fold. He will also use his staff to guide a baby back to its mother. The staff is used to rescue sheep from precarious situations and to guide them closer to the shepherd for closer examination.

The question that is asked in my study is, what is your staff? What tool do you have that God could use for His glory within the Body? Some things that come to mind are: teaching, mentoring, singing, playing an instrument, having a special rapport with children/teens, etc. I don't have any of these qualities. I am only good with my own children. I can't sing or play anything. My life is so checkered that I am not sure I would even know how to mentor a young girl. But... I can organize things. I can embellish an idea and sometimes I can help with writing letters and such. So maybe I do have a staff of sorts.

I was also totally blown away when I read that God met Moses at an inn on his way to Egypt with the intention of killing him. This is Moses for crying out loud. I had to read it twice and read 2 commentaries to make sure I was reading it right. Why would God want to kill Moses? He has not even made it to Egypt yet. Funny you should ask. Moses took his wife Zipporah and his sons with him. If you will think back, Moses' mother was his wet nurse. The Bible does not say, but I think that she told him of the promise to God to Abraham. Moses seemed to know from whence he came. So he should have known that when his sons were 8 days old they were to be circumcised. He had not done so with his own son. Moses was braking the covenant with God! Zipporah does the deed. I will not go into details but you can read it for yourself in Exodus 4:23-26.

In John Wesley's commentary, he seems to think at this point Moses sent the wife and kids back home. The Bible does not say so we cannot be sure. But Wesley does make a very valid point. When we are called by God to perform a specific service, we should remove anything that would be a hindrance to us.

Matthew Henry states that when God brings our shortcomings to mind, we should amend it as soon as possible. Confess and repent in other words.

Instead of dwelling on all my many missed opportunities, I am trying to focus on what "staff" I have that God will use to further the kingdom. I am trying to "clear my account" with God so that we can start anew and I can be the woman that He uses and not the woman that looks for someone to take her place.

I have been listening to James Macdonald this week. For those of you that have been following me for awhile, you know how much I like him. He offers free downloads of his daily sermons on his site and I have many of them.

This week he is teaching from the 3 Johns. I must say, these little books really pack a punch and I am not liking it at all.

Yesterday, he taught from 1 John chapter 2. He stayed mainly on verses 15-17. You can read these for yourself at your leisure. The point he was making is that we fill ourselves up on so many other things, that we don't save room for God. The analogy he used was eating. If you eat a big meal, you are to full for dessert.

This has gotten me to thinking about what all I fill myself up on. I have to admit, it is a lot of junk. Games, tv, socializing, books with little or no substance. This affects my character and how I react to others in my life. I become short tempered, rude, caustic, and just plain mean. I am also exhausted. I have managed to fill my time up with so many things that do nothing to make me a better person, that I just don't have the strength to turn to the Word.

I like many others, tend to put God last instead of first. But, I have to admit, I miss Him. I miss talking to Him. Even if it was a major cleansing. I miss the little things He shows me. I miss His still small voice.

That is the main reason I am so excited about this new study I have started. I am getting back on track so to speak. While I am not in total rebellion, I am far enough off the course. I know this is going to be a painful process for me. I do not look forward to seeing what I have allowed myself to become. I really dread the make-up tests I am going to have to take. But I know that God is merciful and gracious even to me. I also know that when I emerge on the other side, I will be closer to Him than ever before and that is the prize I am reaching for.

I have just started a new study in Exodus. I am really excited because there is so much in Exodus. Also, I am not that well versed in the Old Testament, so this gives me an opportunity to learn more about the character of God and about myself.

Since I just started this study, not a lot has happened yet. Moses has just seen the burning bush for the first time. While I was in my small group study last week I noticed something about the women there. They all seem to revere Moses. This got me to thinking about how I fell about Moses and I wonder who is off base, me or them?

I am definitely not trying to be mean or have one of those dreaded holier-than-thou attitudes. I just see Moses a little differently I guess.

First of all, he was curious. He tries to go behind the bush to see why it is not being consumed. All these women are talking like he saw it out of the corner of his eye. No, he saw it dead on and wanted to know what was up with it. Just like we would have done.

Next you have Moses and God speaking. This never ceases to amaze me. He gives God excuses! I know we all give God excuses as to why can't do this or say that, but he verbalizes them OUT LOUD to God. Since God already knew this would happen, He puts plan B into action. Aaron will do all the talking. The Bible doesn't say this but can you imagine that conversation between Moses and his brother? So, they go before Pharaoh and Moses can't say anything. So Aaron gets to glorify God with his words. This brings to my memory the story or Esther and her uncle. He told her if you don't step up to the plate, God will find someone else to.

Then you have the whole 10 commandments thing. Moses goes up to the mount and spends 40 days/nights there. While he is there, he gets the 10 commandments. The Bible doesn't say this, but, some commentaries I have read have said that the stone upon which they were written could have been from God. God could possibly have His own stones there or just decided to use what was on hand. This makes me wonder what if they were stones from heaven? Rubies are stones. So are diamonds and emeralds. Anyway, Moses sees the finger of God writing these commandments. The finger of God!!

God tells him get down from here the people are acting like idiots. They are making and worshiping idols. Who started this? The Bible says the multitudes. These were the people that left with the Israelites. They were not Jewish. Who leads the pack? Aaron! What does Moses do? He gets so mad that he throws the 10 commandments and breaks them. Now he just saw the finger of God at work. You know that there was some kind of noise going on up there that the people heard. With all that they have witnessed, what were they thinking? God is just going to take Moses and leave them there?

So now I am asking myself, what burning bushes have I just walked by without a second thought? What are some that I have stopped at only to talk myself out of acting on? What word has God given me to share with others that I have just thrown at them in my anger? How many times have I decided that God has forgotten me and turned to my own means to solve an issue?

What is encouraging is that God never gave up on Moses. Because of his relationship with God, he became one to the greatest intercessory prayer warriors of the Bible. No doubt about it, he was a great man but he was just a man.

I have been trying to finish my study on the book of Job for quite a while. A lot of life issues have prevented me from keeping up with my friends. They are finished and I am still struggling.

Job is a very complex book. Since I know the story, I am trying to look at the study with "fresh" eyes. My study is from the Joy of Living series, and it is a very good study.

I have been pondering Job's friends and with the recent suicide of a friend, I am looking closer at what type of friend I am.

Job's friends take a different approach to the same topic. In their eyes, Job must have done something to deserve all his tribulations. How often do we think this very thing about our own friends, family,or coworkers? We often jump to conclusions without knowing anything but what we perceive and hear from others. Most people don't air their "dirty laundry" for all to speculate on.

If you read Job, starting in chapter 3 and continuing in chapter 4, the first friend starts to speak. His name is Eliphaz, and it is presumed that he is the eldest of the 4 that speak. He is "elegant" at first in his speech and manner. He has learned to say unpleasant thing in gracious ways. How many of us do this? We start with a compliment and end with a criticism. He reminds me of southern women. We are taught almost from birth how to do this. Say unpleasant things to and about another with that southern "charm". It can be very deceiving to those that don't recognize it.

Then we move to Bilbad. He is "brutal" and to the point. He asks questions to bring the focus onto the logic of what is being talked about. He is an intellectual with a cold and harsh way of tackling the problem at hand. Bildad does not feel the agony of Job. He has no compassion for the pain and anguish of his friend. He makes no attempt to understand or to see what is behind Job's words. How many of us have talked about our partners this way? If we cannot see beyond the words, how can we begin to understand the pain?

Next we have Zophar. He is "zealous" in his attack on Job. He delivers a scorching rebuke to Job. He is very indignant and self-righteous in his tirade on Job. He is visibly angry at Job and I think he feels Job has been a hypocrite all these years and deserves what he is getting. He spouts off all these insults at Job and once again fails to empathize with the anguish of Job.

The biggest problem with these "friends" is that they are looking at Job with only theology. They are not looking at Job with the compassion of the Holy Spirit. We have all run into these type of people. They say all the right things, have all the right verses, but lack the compassion of a Christ like spirit. They cannot feel your pain and offer true words of wisdom because their religion gets in the way.

So what type of friend are you? Are you Eliphaz the "elegant",Bildad the "brutal" or Zophar the "zealous"? I think I have been all 3 at one time or another. My goal is to be like the youngest of the 4, Elihu. You can find him in in chapter 32. He is young but speaks with the wisdom of someone who has walked closely with God. He never forgets who Job is and is always courteous and respectful of him. He is honest but compassionate. Forthright but gentle. Rebuking but not harsh. He is a true friend.

Well, our look at the 10 commandments is at a close. What I have not posted yet is what Christ said to the Pharisees concerning the 10 commandments.

When Christ was approached by them in Matthew 22, He was asked which law was most important. Christ summed this answer up with 2 commandments. The first is "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, and soul" The second is "Love your neighbor as yourself" (Mt. 22:34-40). This enables us to put the 10 commandments in proper context. Since the commandments are about relationships, the first 5 being our relationship with God, and the second five being our relationship with others, it is important that we understand them so we can apply them to our lives in the proper context.

Contrary to popular belief, Christ did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it. Christ never said that the commandments no longer applied to us. (Mt. 5:17-19)
Christ not only fulfilled the law, He lived the law perfectly. He expanded the intent of the 10 commandments to show us that our thoughts can cause us to break the laws. (Hate=Murder Lust=Adultery,etc.) It is impossible for us to live perfectly as Christ did. We are born into sin and will remain in sin until we see Christ again. That does not mean we should give up. Repentance is the key. Now that we know the truth, it is up to us to recognize our sin, take responsibility for it and repent of it. Only then can God start to work a new work in us.

This is a daunting task for a lot of us. It is hard to go to God or another person and say, "I was wrong about......I am sorry please forgive me". We worry about what they will say or how they will receive us. That is why it is important to go to God in prayer first. Repent to him first then you will know if you should go to the person and what to say.

I hope we all have a better understanding of the 10 commandments and can better apply them to our lives. i am also posting some websites that expand on the commandments that you may peruse at your leisure.

www.sermonnotebook.org
www.gods-10-commandments.org
www.the-ten-commandments.org/ten_commandments-purpose_meaning.html
godstenlaws.com/index.html

We are finally at the 10th commandment! I hope by now we all have a better understanding of the 10 commandments and how they still apply to us today.

The 10 commandment states: “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.” (Ex. 20:17)

To covet means to wish, long for, or crave something that belongs to another. When we covet, a lot of other emotions are involved that can lead to greater sin in our lives. In this day and age of more, more, more, it can be a daunting task to keep from coveting the things of others. We all want to be "The Jones'".

This commandment deals with our heart and mind towards the people in our lives. When we feel we deserve what another has, it changes the way we feel and act towards that person. We should rejoice at someones success in life. We should desire that our presence in their lives be a reflection of Christ and His love for them. I know from personal experience, just how difficult it can be to rejoice at another's success. If you have a difficult relationship to begin with, it can be almost impossible. The key is to remember what God has blessed you with and then you can see that He has not left you out in the blessings of life. God knows what you can handle in any situation be it success or turmoil.

Pastor James MacDonald has said that if you draw a breath you should thank God. If you see a sunset, have a house, job, healthy family, you should be thanking God. When you look at your life in this manner, you see just what God has truly given you.

This week our assignment is to look at how we think of the people in our lives. Do we desire what they have in life? Are we truly happy for their success? What about how we look at our own lives? Are we truly thankful for what we have? Do we acknowledge what God has blessed us with small and large?

I hope that we are all able to view our heart and mind towards others more in the manner that Christ would have us do after this self-examination. I have listed some verses below for you to peruse at your leisure concerning this commandment.

Next week we will wrap up the 10 commandments and put them all together to enable us to better understand how we are to apply them to our lives today.

Tenth Commandment: Luke 12:15-21; Romans 7:7-8; 13:9; Ephesians 5:3, 5.
Hebrews 13:5
1 Peter 2:1
Colossians 3:5
Matthew 6:19,25-26

We are almost done with our study of the 10 commandments! I hope that all of us have learned more about theses laws given to us by God.

The 9th commandment states: "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor." (Ex.20:16)

When we think of false witness, we think of lying. But slander, libel, lying under oath, all fall under false witness. I think gossip also fall under this commandment. When we gossip about others, we are slandering their name, reputation, etc. Since gossip tends to entail exaggeration, we need to be aware of what we repeat about others.

Since this commandment is about truth, we need to remember to be truthful when talking with God and others. If we love others, we should not be deceitful to them. We need to remember what the Word of God says about being truthful.(John 14:6, Num. 23:19, Ps. 15:1-3). Our lives and our words should always reflect the truth of God.

This week, look at how you speak to others and about others. Are you being honest with them? Are you tarnishing their reputation with your words? Are you remaining silent and thereby agreeing with what is being said? This are hard things to face about ourselves, but by doing so we can all see how impossible it is to live by these commandments.

We will discuss more on the purposes of these commandments in our wrap up in a few weeks.

I hope everyone has a good weekend and I will post again soon!