Truth on rye

Very rarely do I even try and review a musician’s show, but this one I must. As the lights dim I am totally ignorant of what to expect from Laurie. The lights come up as she is singing a song about a fictional period when the earth was nothing but air and birds. The birds are just flying aimlessly. Her story goes that one of the birds dies and the question arises, “what do we do with the body?” A Lark then has the idea to bury the bird in his head, and thus the first form of memory is introduced to this bird world. At this point I am willing to recognize her interesting imagination and am more at rest about how the rest of the show will be. She then, using a voice changer, talks about some political issues assuming the identity of the government officials. “Ok”, I say to myself, “everyone has different opinions on political issues.” She hits the typical issues: the wars, the presidental race, free speech, etc, etc. She talks about a story of a woman volunteering to be in the military because she has no other way to pay for college. Thats where I had to stop and think. Not only is there so much money available for college for anyone whose anyone, but you could work and go to school. Heck, I did it. Sure I had to take loans too, but I did it. She then continues on about how the military is at fault for her volunteering. Either Laurie has a giant misconception on volunteering, i.e. she thinks that if someone volunteers for the military they should not be subject to a war situation, or she thinks that the military should never engage in war. Well it becomes clear that she believes the later. Which raises the question, why does the military even exist? She talks about how great everything was in all the countries before the
US military invaded and disrupted the peace. I’m sorry but thats simply ignorant not to mention the fact that if someone volunteers for an organization that is used to engage in battle and then doesn’t like it, thats their fault. Mixed with this and attacks on evangelicals she completely lost my interest. This concert overall was very poorly presented. At best the attendees are those that believe exactly like her and are her “followers.” The way that she attacked such controversial issues would never attract anyone new, and certainly not me. Her “music” if you could call it that, was poorly organized with really random tempo changes and at times so many sounds you could not pick out exactly what was playing, but I must give her credit. She has made money off of all this.  

I have a burden. The burden is for missions. And there is a lingering  thought that comes with it.:”Is it a real burden?” This has been a mighty struggle. Having thoughts of traveling so far from my comfort zone leaves me feeling almost giddy. I mean look at all thos missionaries who speak so powerfully in perspectives class and through movies (End of the Spear.) I need to be carefull to not respond to the great commsion with emotions only. Through consistent prayer, council, and perpectives class combined with an open heart to what the Lord is asking of me I have been able to say that the burden is real. Its time to start thinking about it realisticly. I am not going to be able to go out there if I cannot learn to effectively minister where I am. Also looking at my current priorities and how its been a battle centerd around comfort, I know that there are heart issues that I need to work out with God. Patience has always been my vice and I do have another lingering fear. “Will I act on this burden?”The only way I can help missions right now at this moment in time is prayer and financial giving. Which is great if I know who needs prayer. The missions prayer meeting has been great for this. CHECK IT OUT!

Being able to deal with spiritual attack is another key to being missions minded, especially if the plan is to go. I feel that I havnt a clue what spiritual attack is. Sure I feel the pull from the world but nothing like the lies, deceit, and mystical holds Satan has on many unreached cultures. Some things that we think can only be manufactured in hollywood may be going on all over the world!  Its a hard thing to take in but since Satans plan with us works so effective, he has no need to try anything else in the U.S.

So overall I think my burden is two fold, to work toward the missions field and to help bring knowledge of the lost to our fellowship.

Searching through old things is always thought provoking

Although sometimes I find reminants of painful reminders.

A rock of all things leaves me breathless, and heart throbbing

Reminded of her, her deep desire for the Lord, her interest in geology and how He made it all.

Reminded of her pain in the past with him and her success with Him

“How could she go back to that pain!”

My heart screams out, I want her thoughts to be clear

And his evil destroys our calls and clarity in the situation.

“If only she could see her situation”

“She see’s and know’s so well” is the reply

So blinding is the evil in him, the love of the Lord and His body is hidden.

Disguised by clever rhetoric he is indeed an evil theif of her gifts and talents,

And she so quickly is willing to give up everything to follow what the Spirit is telling her is wrong.

How truely truely sad this is, all I can do is hope and pray that they will come back

Two guys in our Jr High cell have received Christ in the past week!

So I got married and stuff right. Been reading and studying the word, been praying alone and with the wife. Been getting my chill thing back on after a long period of not meeting because of holidays class schedules and honeymoon. All this and I think to myself that there are no real issues to think of right now. And I think “uh oh.” There are things going on that I am either not aware of or that I am so used to that it doesnt seem as a problem.  What could it be? Reading Men and Women has been the very usefull in putting my finger on the problem. Even during periods of appearing others centered, I am still selfcentered. If I focusing on others, more often than not is it to fix the relationship in order to make the relationship bearable. So it is more than just doing things for people that make others feel loved. It is genuinely careing for their well being and figuring out a way to display that. I have several ways that I have been told that made others feel very loved and they were:

1. Checking up on past problems, and not always focusing on problems

2. Random calls and/or get togethers

3. Fnding something the other person likes, and they know that you dont, and doing that.

This not being a comprehensive list, but its enought to see my point.

Anyway just wanted to share that. Peace.

Joe, something went terribly wrong with your ipod. It started freakin out and Mary shot it!

ipod.jpg

New Testament

            Kardia is the greek word for heart. Kardia is defined as:

Kardia (kad-dee’-ah)

1.             the heart
   1. that organ in the animal body which is the centre of the circulation of the blood, and hence was regarded as the seat of physical life
   2. denotes the centre of all physical and spiritual life
   3. the vigour and sense of physical life
   4. the centre and seat of spiritual life
      1. the soul or mind, as it is the fountain and seat of the thoughts, passions, desires, appetites, affections, purposes, endeavours
      2. of the understanding, the faculty and seat of the intelligence
      3. of the will and character
      4. of the soul so far as it is affected and stirred in a bad way or good, or of the soul as the seat of the sensibilities, affections, emotions, desires, appetites, passions
   5. of the middle or central or inmost part of anything, even though inanimate

Kardia is translated as any of the following English words in the New Testament: heart, 102; heart’s, 1; hearts, 49; mind, 2; minds, 1; quick, 1; spirit, 1.It is clear from this definition that not only does it refer to the heart that produces blood for physical life, but also the center of emotions and spiritual life. The use of the word kardia translated as heart in Mt 15:18 is clearly referring to the heart as a center of the being. If it was taken to mean anatomically then speaking from the heart would be a disgusting bloody vomit.

Old Testament         

    The Hebrew word “leb” is translated as “heart” in the OT. Leb is defined as:

1. inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding
   1. inner part, midst
      1. midst (of things)
      2. heart (of man)
      3. soul, heart (of man)
      4. mind, knowledge, thinking, reflection, memory
      5. inclination, resolution, determination (of will)
      6. conscience
      7. heart (of moral character)
      8. as seat of appetites
      9. as seat of emotions and passions 1a
2. as seat of courage

The word Leb is translated as the following English words in the Old Testament, the number following shows how many times it is used: Himself, 1; accord, 1; attention, 1; bravest, 1; brokenhearted, 3; care, 2; celebrating, 1; chests, 1; completely, 1; concern, 1; concerned, 1; conscience, 1; consider, 2; considered, 2; courage, 1; decided, 1; determine, 1; discouraged, 1; discouraging, 1; doing, 1; double heart, 1; encouragingly, 1; heart, 396; heart’s, 2; hearts, 40; himself, 6; imagination, 1; inspiration, 2; intelligence, 1; kindly, 5; life, 1; merry-hearted, 1; middle, 2; midst, 1; mind, 36; minds, 3; myself, 6; obstinate, 2; planned, 1; presume, 1; pride, 1; recalls, 1; reflected, 1; regard, 1; self-exaltation, 1; sense, 10; senseless, 1; seriously, 1; skill, 1; skilled, 1; skillful, 3; skillful man, 1; skillful men, 1; skillful persons, 1; spirits, 1; stouthearted, 1; stubborn-minded, 1; tenderly, 2; thought, 3; understanding, 7; undivided, 1; well, 2; willingly, 1; wisdom, 2; yourself, 1; yourselves, 1.Leb is clearly the Hebrew equivellent word for the greek word kardia. Although kardia could be used in the anatomical sense, the two words both deal with the idea that the “heart” is the center of emotions and spiritual life. For instance in Jer 17:9 the author is not saying that we have a medical condition that requires surgery, but that our fundamental center of being is “desperately sick” or depraved ( see word study on depravity.)

Summary    

The word heart is referring to our inner being almost exclusively in scripture. The condition of our heart is very sick as God tells us in Jer 17:9. There is a cure that medical professionals cannot offer in a hospital, yet we can still form a hardened heart as Daniel describes in Dan 5:20. This is a heart condition that still plagues us, yet even with the cure lurking, our being can become hardened to the point that the cure Christ offers cant even break through.

Jackie and I went out to Kingsbury Farms in Hartville last night. It was an amazing place, or maybe it was the company, in any case we had a blast! They have a 10 acre Corn maze that from an aerial picture is shaped like a pirate ship. We tried to get through but it was getting dark so headed back, something to check out though. Also they take you on a Hayride through their farm, but thats not it, they actually stop and let you out in the middle of a pumpkin patch. Yes thats right you actually go out and pick your own pumpkin off the vine! It was incredible. We then brought them back and made lanterns. She made a phenominal cat and I a silly alien. It was the most fun I have ever had carving a pumpkin. The seeds, oh the seeds, the tastey little morsels, the gooey nasty pulp. I looked online and all the sites said to dry them over night! We couldnt wait that long so we put them on a tray in the oven at 200 for about 45 min. Then once they were looking pretty dry we raised the temp to the recommended 275 for about 15 min. Oh the glory! So anyway you dont have to wait a day!

Jackie and the Pumpkin Patch(Sounds like a movie)

Good luck all you Pumpkin Hunters!

Depravity 

Definition: to make morally bad or evil; vitiate; corrupt; reprobate.

New Testament

            The word depraved is translated from three Greek words: diaphtheiro, katphitheiro , and adokimos. In the three verses that these words are used “depraved” is referring to the mind (Rom 1:28;1 Tim 6:5; 2 Tim 3:8). In matters referring to the mind it is referring to ethics. The root word of the first two is phtheiro. Phtheiro used in the ethical sense refers to corruption and depravity. Adokimos is the negative particle of dokimos which means acceptable. Adokimos then means unacceptable, unfit, and reprobate. Diaphtheiro, katphitheiro , and adokimos are used throughout the New Testament but translated into English many different ways.

            Diaphtheiro is used six times in the NT but only once translated as the word “depraved”. Diaphtheiro is also translated into English as the following: decaying; destroy; destroyed; destroys. The verse that it is translated as depraved is referring to the mind (1 Tim 6:5.) The definition is “to change for the worse, to corrupt” and referring to the mind, then, it is referring to a corrupt mind. The context of the verse is talking about men who use godliness as a means to gain wealth and power which is a very corrupt view of the message of scripture.

            Katphitheiro is only used once in the NT and is translated as “depraved”(2 Tim 3:8.) The definition of this word is “to corrupt, deprave” and is also used in reference to the mind. In this verse the author is referencing men who opposed Moses and who oppose the truth of scripture.

            The root word of diaphtheiro and katphitheiro is phitheiro. The definition of Phitheiro is “to corrupt, to destroy” a verb, an action. In fact when it is used referring to morals in 1 Cor 5:33 it is used as a warning for “bad company” acting on the good in a bad way. Diaphtheiro and katphitheiro is referring a state of mind. Phitheiro is used nine times in the NT and is translated as: corrupted, corrupting, corrupts, destroy, destroyed, destroys, led astray (2 Co 7:2, Eph 4:22, Rev 19:2,1 Co 15:33, Mt 2:13, 1 Co 3:17,2 Pe 2:12, 1 Co 3:17, 2 Co 11:3.) These are all actions or the result of actions.

            Adokimos is used eight times in the New Testament and is defined as “unfit for, unproved, spurious, reprobate; that which does not prove itself such as it ought.” Adokimos is translated as depraved; disqualified; fail the test; rejected; unapproved; worthless (2 Co 13:5,6, 7; Rom 1:28; 1 Co 9:27; 2 Ti 3:8;  . Adokimos is the negative of dokimos, which is used to describe approval in God’s view in the following eight verses: Ro 14:18; 16:10; 1 Co 11:19; 2 Co 10:18; 13:7; 1 Th 2:4; 2 Ti 2:15; Jas 1:12. Dokimos is used almost exclusively to describe ways in which man can be approved to God by accepting Christ. This is shown in Jas 1:12, 1 Th 2:4:

            “Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.”

                Qualifying the approved state is the requirement to “love Him.” The difference with this word and the others is that it is referring purely to a state that one is in, or can achieve particularly in this verse.

Old Testament

            The old testament Hebrew word translated as depravity is shachath. Shachath is defined as “to destroy, corrupt, go to ruin , decay.” A breakdown of the 150 different ways it is translated is shown here: act corruptly, 4; act…corruptly, 1; acted corruptly, 3; acted…corruptly, 1; acting corruptly, 1; blemished animal, 1; corrupt, 8; corrupted, 4; depravity, 1; destroy, 69; destroyed, 14; destroyer, 4; destroyers, 1; destroying, 7; destroys, 5; destruction, 2; devastate, 1; felled, 2; go to ruin, 1; harm, 2; jeopardize, 1; laid waste, 1; polluted, 1; raiders, 2; ravage, 1; ravaged, 1; ruin, 1; ruined, 4; set, 1; spoiled, 1; stifled, 1; waste, 1; wasted, 1; wreaking destruction, 1.          Baliya’al is translated and defined as worthless, which could also be used to refer to mans depraved state. Although the Old Testament authors refer to the state of mans heart to refer our depravity ( Jer 17:9.) 

Summary          The Old and New Testaments use different styles but the message of depravity, defined as “worthless”,  is evident no matter what words are used to describe. The truth is that we are of depraved mind, the polar opposite of Gods perfection, we can be used by Him, but we are but a gear with no driving force without His power.

I can build and keep a relationship with my computer forever, cant I? What about  with my TV or my Videogames? NO! of coarse not, they are not people but how easy is it for us to resort to retracting from real people and getting into a fake life on a show.   Something we all need to work on, I’m sure. I watched an entire disk of scrubs one day, I felt like poopy the rest of the day. Even when I was with my peeps, the effects of the idiot-box are remarkeably damaging. I felt isolated, kind of like I was still watching a show but I was right in the middle of it and I was not partaking in it. In fact I was waiting for something to happen in the show to entertain me. I was so used to being an observer that I was demanding to be entertained. As if I had some sort of reality remote like that Adam Sandler movie. In the movie he is able to fast foward through the hard times, or the boring times, and just partake in the happy times. I have definitley encountered this thought of wanting to just skip to when something is over, right now its our wedding. A couple of months ago it was school. It opens the door for me to ignore everything else until it is over. Something I hope does not happen. Hey anyway I will write a Blog about something soon, just need to get some thoughts out every now and again.