53-Confederate Monuments, Joshua and Stones

On Tue, Aug 29, 2017 at 2:12 PM

Hey John

            The Joshua idea sounds good.  Send me what you can as soon as you can, and I'll get busy on it.  We've got rain here, so not too much vineyard activity the rest of the week, so maybe I can get some thoughts down on paper.  We picked three varieties yesterday A-L-L  D-A-Y L-O-N-G...and night, but at least we got them in before the rain hit, so that's a plus, but today I'm like the walking dead. 

Dana

++++++++++++++++++++++++

John answered at 4:13 PM on Tue, Aug 29, 2017

Hey Dana

            I am continuing to read Martyn Lloyd-Jones  book Revival. He uses scripture with each new chapter, as an introduction for what is to follow.  In Chapter 10, the scripture is:

 

²¹ And he spake unto the children of Israel, saying, When your children shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean these stones?

²² Then ye shall let your children know, saying, Israel came over this Jordan on dry land.

²³ For the Lord your God dried up the waters of Jordan from before you, until ye were passed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red sea, which he dried up from before us, until we were gone over:

24 That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty: that ye might fear the Lord your God for ever.   Joshua 4:21-24 (KJV)

 

            This reminded me of what’s been going on in cities and towns around the nation for the past several weeks. As you know, I am a Southerner by proxy. While I admit I settled in Northern Virginia, none-the-less, I lived below the Mason-Dixon Line for about seven years.  I went to school (elementary, junior and senior high schools) in the era when state and national history was taught in almost every grade up until graduation. How could I know what it meant to be an American, if I didn’t know about America and Americans?

            In the on-line publication Townhall, on 10/22/11, Daniel Doherty wrote about the disturbing decline of the teaching of American history in the American school system in his article titled “The Decline of American History in Public Schools”:

 

The notion that American history -- a once a valued subject -- is no longer a priority in public schools is profoundly disconcerting. The denigration of history, in my view, will have dire ramifications as children grow up ignorant and unaware of the essential beliefs which have guided our nation for nearly three centuries.

 

            The below is from a news blog published in the Rocky Mountain Collegian written on 4/10/15  by Hallie Gardner, titled “Is American History Even Taught in Schools?”:

 

Before writing this blog, I did a little follow-up on the decline of American history being taught in schools. An article on Townhall.com writes, “A new report shows that students anywhere from high school to fourth grade are solely lacking in their knowledge of American History. Results from the 2010 gold standard of testing, the National Assessment of Educational Progress, only 13% of the nation’s high school seniors showed proficiency in their knowledge of American history, and only 18% of eighth graders and 22% of fourth graders scoring as well.” 

 

            I have been greatly disturbed by the PC police, the Liberal Left, and ignorant and cowardly politicians who have succumbed to (at the very least) misguided pressures to erase America’s past, or worse yet, who try to re-write it. Just as we have today, the good, the bad, and the ugly who make up America, that is who we were and where we came from.

While I don’t condone riots, we can’t remove our past, because that’s who we were and or are. While the mayor of Baltimore says her under-the-cover-of-darkness removal of the statues of Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson was to “The mayor has the right to protect her city,” she said. “For me, the statues represented pain....” As President Trump recently said (paraphrasing), “Where will it stop?”

            As you have said in the past Dana, this is not a political platform, so let me move on, and get back to our scripture. Lloyd-Jones feels that a failure to remember what God has done in the past is one of the reasons the Church in America is not seeing revival today. I don’t remember who gave it, but I have a previous message on my mind. It was titled “Your God Is Too Small.” I think these few verses in Joshua point to this. We serve the Almighty and Creator God. The Lord of Lords and King of Kings. And yet due to our humanity it is too easy to forget what God did for me yesterday, let alone about 3000 years ago. 

More Later

John

***************************

Dana’s Reply on 8/30/17

 Hi John,

      After the events in Charlottesville, (which I believe were staged events, as more and more eye witnesses are saying that things weren’t necessarily as the mainstream media reported them) I was wondering something.  I grew up in the late 1950’s and 1960’s.  One of the most vivid memories I have is of the struggles of the Civil Rights movement and Dr. Martin Luther King.  His speeches are now a part of the American lexicon.  Something I do not remember however, is any emphasis on, or criticism of the Confederate flag or Confederate monuments spoken of by Dr. King or any of his followers, including Rev. Jesse Jackson.  In effect they were non-entities in the struggle.  One would think if said flag and monuments were, in actuality, symbols of white bigotry and hate, they might have figured into the objectives of the Civil Rights movement. 

      Dr. Walter E. Williams, noted economist and educator, and also a black man, once spoke of the Civil War.  He was quick to point out that America had never experienced a civil war in its history, and that event we refer to as the “Civil War” was anything but. Civil wars are wars fought between two competing entities, both vying for the same objective.  The Southern states in the 1860’s were never trying to take control of the government of the United States; they simply wanted out of the Union and to be self-governing.  When the South seceded, it was the North that went to war to prevent it.

      Only a tiny fraction of Southerners were slave owners, as the South was largely agrarian, and most of the people were too poor to own slaves.  President Abraham Lincoln didn’t issue the Emancipation Proclamation, the executive order that freed the slaves until January 1, 1863, well into the war, which would better termed the War Between the States, instead of the Civil War.  Ulysses S. Grant, the Union general credited for defeating the South (and later President of the US) was a slave owner himself.  So the inflammatory rhetoric condemning the South of fighting the war over slavery is historically incorrect.

      The aforementioned Dr. Williams in his talk about the War Between the States also told about the first black soldier who was commissioned as a military officer was done so in the Confederate army, not the Union army.

      Pol Pot, the brutal Communist dictator of Cambodia christened his takeover of the country by declaring time was to begin over again for that country starting at Year Zero.  That is the same mindset among the new Communist left trying to erase our own history.  Erase a people’s history and culture, and then they’re easier to control. 

      As Hitler shored up his own power base by creating a “boogey man” for people to demonize and hate in the Jews living in Germany at that time, the same tactic is being employed in our own country.  Now it’s the white, (and predominantly) Southern, Christian who is the bad guy.

       I’ve said it before, and I stick to it, the Obama administration’s championing of gay marriage had little to do with the rights or well-being of the homosexual community.  Instead it was a shot fired across the bow of the Christian Church.  If you go back to the news of that time, the next day the rainbow colors were off the White House, but that’s when the lawsuits began against Christian businesses opting not to serve homosexuals.

      There’s a highly orchestrated move afoot that, as far as I can see, cares nothing for the rights or welfare of Black Americans, Hispanics, homosexuals, transgenders, or Muslim immigrants. Those people exist simply as a tool in the cloven hoofs of the “orchestrators” to cause division and strife, with the end game of assaulting the Church—the real enemy.

     Once the flags and the monuments are gone, are we so naïve to really think that that will signal the end to protests and hostilities in this country?  Watch, the crosses on the top of church steeples will be the next symbols of hatred and intolerance that will have to go.

      OK, some you might be tempted to think that as I write this, that I’m sitting in my well-armed, well-stocked bunker, comfortably adorned up on top of my head with a shiny tin-foil fedora, daily communing with Elvis, and waiting for the end.  Think me insane; you won’t be the first so to do, but speaking of “boogey men,” the real “boogey man” for Christians isn’t the liberals, or the PC crowd, or the Bilderberg Group, or the New World Order, or space aliens, or Black Lives Matter, or LBGTQ, it is antichrist.  I won’t go as far as saying it is THE ANTICHRIST of the end times—I don’t profess to know.  But the Apostle John wrote in his first epistle:

     “Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour.” (1John 2:18 ESV)

      It appears that “the last hour” has indeed been a long one, and is still with us.  If a day is as a thousand years to the Lord, then should we be surprised by long hours as well?  The forces causing all the trouble in our land and world are not political or social in nature—they are evil!  They oppose Christ and anyone who follows Him.  They will stir up and exploit anyone and everyone to apply pressure to the Church, if not outright destroy it.  There are (thankfully) a few obstacles standing in their way, but it is coming.

      There is a man with whom I am quite unfamiliar.  His name is Sadhu Sundar Selvaraj, supposedly a converted Hindu, who is now preaching for Christ.  I cannot vouch for or denounce the man or his “ministry,” as I just haven’t had the time to investigate to see if he is the genuine article or a wolf in sheep’s clothing.  But in an article I was reading, he was quoted as saying:

     “The Lord spoke to me about this nation [America], ‘What you need is not a revival. What you need is to put your house in order.’”  

     And, on that point, he nailed it.

     We have discussed the absence of revival in our nation before on the blog. Devout and sincere people still pray for it. I don’t believe they are wrong to do so, but I’m inclined to agree with Mr. Selvaraj’s statement. I don’t know if God spoke to him or not—I wasn’t there, and I tend to be on the skeptical side of things when someone says “God spoke to me.” That phrase has been used a lot to justify all manner of things that may or may not line up with the Bible.  I do not doubt that God communicates with His people, but outside of special or particular guidance in difficult or perplexing situations, the answers we seek as believers are all right there in the Scriptures...if we take the time to look. 

      It would behoove Christians to be still a minute and reflect on just why, when so many sincere believers have prayed and prayed for revival, just why God hasn’t sent it. Perhaps God is indeed trying to prepare us for something that’s coming, rather than give us revival, which for many who seek it would be nothing more than Christian entertainment.  He provides our needs, not necessarily our wants. Jesus warned His disciples to get out of Jerusalem prior to 70 AD; is another warning coming our way, but one we cannot, or worse, will not listen to?

      If that is the case, we need to heed said warning, and become “Spiritual Preppers.”  Now don’t misconstrue my meaning; I’m not saying that Christians need to get off the grid, and stockpile firearms and canned food—not at all!  We neither fight with carnal weapons, nor do we live by bread alone. 

      Instead we need to prepare for that which appears to be coming upon the Church by getting real familiar with our Bibles—our only offensive weapon according to Paul in Ephesians 6, and, we also need to get our spiritual lives and “houses” in order.  Fasting and prayer might prove much more valuable tools in our Christian toolbox than an AR15 and freeze dried meals.

Talk soon,

Dana

+++++++++++++++++

John answered on 8/30/17

Hey Dana

            Keeping the thought going of remembering what God has done, I’m going to do that. (A minister once suggested to his congregation that they actually go outside and pick up a number of small stones to which they could attach memories of God’s goodness and provision. I had seven or eight stones on my bookcase for several years.)

            I’d like to thank God that He save and delivered me from drunkenness.

            I’d like to thank God for when, before Carol and I were married, I prayed for her over the phone and He heal her of lumps in her breast.

            I’d like to thank God for bring us together as husband and wife.

            I’d like to thank God for the few real friends that I have who have stuck with me through the years.

            I’d like to thank Him for all His provisions through the years.

            I’d like to thank Him for providing safe shelter even when I was homeless for a time.

            I’d like to thank Him for the several times, when we’ve had a falt tire or a car problem, we’ve broken down in a safe place.         

            I’d like to thank Him for our church and pastor and his solid teaching.

            I’d like to thank Him that over the past several years, in spite of the severe losses we have sustained, He has been there throughout it and and has continued to bless us.

            Thank you Lord for protecting Carol when she fell recently. That could have been very bad.

            Dana, I hope this is an encouragement to our readers to begin to remember God’s goodnesses and thank Him for them and His provision.

Grateful for your friendship

John

PS The home going of a good friend.

Dana

I don’t think you knew Jeanie Nye. She was a bit younger than me and attended Trinity A/G for years. She sang with a Gospel group when she was younger and continued to sing for the Lord her entire life. She was always doing something good for someone. When Carol and I were married 25 years ago, she did the flowers for our wedding. One of the decorations was a bundle of wheat to represent our place a a couple in the harvest field. She loved people and loved God. This morning after an off again on again bout with cancer, God took her home, peacefully. No more sorrows. No more tears. No more death. Just the land of eternal Son. I’m sure she’s singing His praises and enjoying every minute in the land where time will be no more....We’ll look for you when we get there Jeanie. You can show us around....

           

Post 52—Calling, or Just a Job? And the Gentle Shepherd

Hey Dana

            I hope the harvest is proceeding without any glitches.

            Sometime ago, I changed the screen saver/background, on my computer. I “love” the water and sailing. Much of my life has been spent in pursuit of both. Many of my fondest memories deal with them. So, for a long time, when my computer would open up, there was a beautiful, graceful, sloop under sail beating to windward. I used to almost feel the motion of the deck beneath me and almost feel the wind rushing past my face and hear the waves sliding down the length of the hull. But then, for some reason I felt to change it. I was looking through various themes and I found a painting. It is of the Good Shepherd. He is smiling and turning His head to the side. He’s looking at the little, black lamb He is carrying on His shoulders.

 

    “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.” John 10:10

 

 Now all the tax collectors and the sinners were coming near Him to listen to Him. ² Both the Pharisees and the scribes (These are what we would call church leaders today.) began to grumble, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”

³ So He told them this parable, saying, ⁴ “What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? ⁵ When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. ⁶ And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ Luke 15:1-6 (NASB)

 

            I’ve been thinking about The Atlantic article you sent not too long ago. I know doing a blog on it wasn’t your purpose, but I’m thinking we should.  (The article seems to be legitimate.) https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/08/hillary-clinton-devotionals/535941/

The article is titled “Hillary Wants to Preach, Religion is playing a big role in Clinton’s post-election tour. What does she have to gain from sharing her faith now?”

            I remember at least one conversation (although I think there were several, but as time has passed so has a bit of my memory) with an old friend of ours, who retired a captain from the Navy. He was a chaplain who had multiple duty assignments, including combat with Marines in Iraqi. One of his frustrations was men and women who took the job of chaplain as an occupation, not a calling. He felt it was just a job for many of the chaplains. Could they hold a service, or give communion? Yes. Could they meet with people and give psychological counseling? Yes. Could they help people with this world’s problems? Often yes. But were they born again and called of God? Many unfortunately, no.  Am I born again? Yes. But am I called to pastor and shepherd in that capacity? Absolutely not. (Called to teach, yes. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=eph++4%3A10-13&version=NASB )  How many times did we hear in chapel at Bible school  Jer 20:9 (NIV)

 

But if I say, “I will not mention his word or speak anymore in his name,”
his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones.
I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.

 

            I’m reading in Ezekiel.  While several passages come to mind about the severity of the high calling to preach/shepherd, I’m first thinking of Ezk 34:2-10.

 

2 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and say to those shepherds, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Woe, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding themselves! Should not the shepherds [d]feed the flock? 3 You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat sheep without [e]feeding the flock. 4 Those who are sickly you have not strengthened, the diseased you have not healed, the broken you have not bound up, the scattered you have not brought back, nor have you sought for the lost; but with force and with severity you have dominated them. 5 They were scattered for lack of a shepherd, and they became food for every beast of the field and were scattered. 6 My flock wandered through all the mountains and on every high hill;  My flock was scattered over all the surface of the earth, and there was no one to search or seek for them.”’”

7 Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: 8 “As I live,” declares the Lord God, “surely because My flock has become a prey, My flock has even become food for all the beasts of the field for lack of a shepherd, and My shepherds did not search for My flock, but rather the shepherds fed themselves and did not feed My flock; 9 therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: 10 ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will demand My sheep from them and make them cease from feeding sheep. So the shepherds will not feed themselves anymore, but I will deliver My flock from their mouth, so that they will not be food for them.”’”

 

            You might be wondering why I even chose to get anywhere close to such a loaded topic as this. Seven immediate examples come to mind. Unfortunately, because all the examples deal with real life situations where people are still living, and still periodically living out the horrors inflicted on them by the church, I can’t be specific. I really wish I could. For those who haven’t faced such trauma, they probably wouldn’t believe it. And for those who have gone through similar situations, it is all too real to them.  And when I say church, I mean the leadership in a church.

            So our readers won’t think I have an ax to grind, if any of them have not read, or have not recently read the books of Jeremiah or Ezekiel (just for starters) I suggest reading them to see how often the children of Israel were led astray by the leadership, whether church or elders.

            Some time ago, I read the book Church is a Team Sport, written by Jim Putman, a former wrestler and coach, who was then called by God to be a church leader, a shepherd. While listening to and looking to God and then doing, his church grew from nothing to many thousands. On page 99 he writes, “We see God judging the shepherds (referring to Ezekiel 34 above) because they failed to fulfill their responsibility—they had not fed the sheep....” He continues on page 102, “Most of us think this means writing better sermons, but you have heard the true statement that ‘people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.’”

            While Putman didn’t say it, it appears to me that he might be referring to pastoral leadership as a job and not a calling when he writes, “Many pastors teach but are not around when the sheep need help.” He continues this idea when further down on page 100 he writes, “I know a pastor can only do so much but we have an obligation to guide our people toward Jesus when they are in trouble. We do not do it because we are paid. We do it because we can’t do anything else.”

            Putman finally closes this thought with, “Sometimes, shepherding means getting dirty. People’s lives are messy and it takes time for the Lord to clean them up. Too often our lives are so busy that the only people we can see ourselves working with are those who won’t take much time.” He then asks church leaders to ask themselves this tough question, “How do I change my life so I can do what the Lord requires of me as a leader?”

            This is why I’m constantly thankful that God did not call me to be a pastor. The obligations and responsibilities they face are overloading, and can’t be carried without His help. That’s why pastoring/shepherding is a calling and not a job.           

            Lest someone think only the Old Testament warns the shepherds to keep a faithful watch, what did Jesus say in Matthew 23:1-39? https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matt+23%3A1-39&version=NASB  There are eight woes spoken as warnings to the church leaders of His day. Jesus was not a happy camper when He was giving these warnings. Except for the fact that in those He calls He puts a fire in their bones (see Jer 20:9 above), I sometimes wonder why anyone would want to be a pastor. We need to pray for our church leadership because as men or women, they too can be overwhelmed by the cares of this world...and stray. And if they stray, they can take us with them.

            This is why the Hillary Clinton article is so troubling.  Ministry is more than just a job, especially when in a person’s life there is a track record of questionable actions http://www.npr.org/2016/06/12/481718785/clinton-scandals-a-guide-from-whitewater-to-the-clinton-foundation  and no apparent confession of sin, or repentance. It is not just Clinton, but an attitude that permeates much of the Church today. Perhaps this is why the Church is losing its relevancy and having all the troubles it is?

John

++++++++++++

Dana replied on Thu. Aug 17, 2017 at 4:18 PM

Hi John,

     The article on Hillary Clinton wanting to become a “preacher” within a recognized Christian denomination is something that almost made me choke and my coffee come out of my nose as I read it.  You mentioned perhaps a blog on people going into the ministry who are not “called.”

      No doubt there are people who enter ministry (pastoral or preaching primarily) because it is a good field in which to be.  When I was a much younger man, there were many ministers who had to take secular jobs in order to support their ministries, as their churches could not afford full time salaries.  By the time I was in Bible College in the late 70’s being in the ministry was rated among the top five professional salaried and benefitted positions in the US.

      For a person entering the ministry for job security, little to no manual labor, and a respectable pay check just made good business or economic sense.  Also, I’m sure, there are some who enter the ministry out of a sincere desire to help people in a sociological or psychological sense, or to try to fight against poverty, ignorance, or social injustice.  Those motivations are certainly nobler than strictly mercenary ones, but both require no particular belief in God or dedication to His service.

      Ministers in the above categories may do some worldly good to those with whom they come in contact, but tend to water down the rest of Christian Evangelicalism by promoting a type of Christianity not related to the Biblical Gospel. This phenomenon contributes to some of our concerns about the Church’s relevance today.  The social gospel is more readily acceptable because it meets basic human physical needs, and doesn’t threaten or offend the unbeliever by declaring that faith in Christ alone is what is required for salvation.  I’m not discounting keeping a starving person alive, but people can and do go to hell on a full stomach every day.

      Another phenomenon I remember encountering while in Bible College was that of the young person from a Christian background who was being pushed into ministry because “Dad” was in the ministry.  Normally this person really wasn’t interested in the things of God beyond a cursory level, but their future had been mapped out for them.  “Call” by proxy.

     What about the real deal—the one truly serious about God’s work?  In a previous post or two I have said this before, but I do not think that one is “called” to preach, or “called” to the mission field, or youth ministry, or any number of other legitimate Christian ministries.  Rather, I think the true “call” is to God Himself; how that manifests and plays out is up to Him. 

     That is not to say that God will not reveal His will to an individual, so they can prepare adequately. To the degree one acknowledges the sovereign God as Lord, then it is up to God to direct their lives, which includes the freedom to change their life direction if He so chooses. 

     I’ve run into people who professed being “called” to a particular ministry, and it was almost like they had joined a union.  They were neither to be asked, nor expected to do anything outside of their “call.”  I’m guessing that one(s) is certainly not called to be flexible.  Whose call is it anyway?  Call me old fashioned, but I always thought it was God’s call, not my call or anybody else’s call.  My job is just to respond.

Dana

+++++++++++++++++

On Aug 22, 2017 at 9 AM John continued    

Dana

            Revealed will. Burdened to follow. Call. Responding to God’s direction or leading. Call it what you will (although after all these years I still think “call” is the best description) God does set, empower, direct individuals into the pastoral/ministerial leadership.

            I do agree with you that many are in the ministry due to outside pressures (family, for example), rather than responding to God’s call.

            Woe to those who for any other reason take it on, or put on the mantel (see Elijah and Elisha in 2 Kings 2:8-15) of this call if it is not God’s leading. And woe to those church leaders who fail to walk in the steps of the Good Shepherd.

John

            PS  I was talking to Carol about this. She reminded me that one other very important piece of the “call” pie is marrying the right person. This comes from her background as a “PK”, or preacher’s kid. She understands the importance of the pastor’s help meet—while the choice of a mate is critical for any Christian, I am going to go out on a limb on this one—I can think of myself as an example of this.

            When I was in Bible school (which for any young man or young woman is a veritable smorgasbord of possible mates), there was one woman I was especially enamored with for a period of time.  She loved God and she had taken a number of overseas spiritual journeys. But in time it became evident that we wouldn’t be the best fit (God’s choice) for each other. Rather than push the Spirit’s leading aside and pursue our own agenda toward each other, we parted as friends and are still friends to this day.

            That woman married a man who was called to missions and now, over 30 years later, they still happily serve God, each other, and others in a distant foreign land. If, instead, we had pushed our relationship and married, how miserable would we have been? Me wanting no part of living overseas. Her not being overseas and ministering to those in the country God had for her.

++++++++++++++++++++

Dana replied Sat, Aug 26, 2017 at 1:38 PM

Hi John,

     It is not my intention to get into a partisan rant, but I must say that with all politics aside, that personally and as a Christian I am offended as well as outraged at the idea of Hillary Clinton entering the “ministry.” 

     That said, I do believe that people can change.  We are all born sinners and we all equally come into this world guilty…and from there we generally get worse.  The transforming power of Christ’s death and resurrection applied to the life of one truly repentant can be remarkable in the changes it produces.  If Mrs. Clinton truly accepts Christ as Lord and savior, and repents of her sins, then I would not forbid her telling others about it, or preaching in general. 

     However, with the litany of charges which have been leveled or alleged against her, and much of her observed public conduct, I would hope there would be intense scrutiny of said conduct by any licensing ministerial board before allowing her to mount the pulpit.  One might teach a parrot to preach, but that doesn’t mean said bird is by any means a Christian.

     The pop-culture Christian entertainment machine has been guilty of promoting fad preachers for several decades, with their only criteria for ministry being whether or not it sells.  We who are true believers, while in no position to judge another’s heart, conversion, or repentance, at the same time have been given a measure of discernment, and that bolstered with good Scriptural teaching, need to support the genuine, but also identify and reject the charlatan.

     If Mrs. Clinton is genuine in her faith, she should publically demonstrate that, by the denouncement of many of her previous acts and words, as well as living a life commensurate with Christian teachings and principles.  In other words, she should “walk the walk” before “talking the talk.”  Even the Apostle Paul didn’t go to preaching the day after Saul of Tarsus got knocked off his horse.

Dana

     PS As to your opening comment about the harvest.  Grapes. Grapes. Grapes.

Post 51- A Bit of the 23rd Psalm

Hello Dana

            How is the harvest going? If you even have time to write this week. Therefore, I was thinking of a short something. I’ve been re-memorizing Psalm 23 in the King James Version. Then, while I’m at work, I’ve been going over it and praying it for Carol and us and others. 

 

         Psalm 23King James Version (KJV)

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

² He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

³ He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

⁴ Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

⁵ Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

⁶ Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

 

            For such an endearing, hopeful, and uplifting Psalm, it’s not very long, is it? I’ve been reading a book anthology by Phillip Keller, where his works on the 23^rd Psalm are gathered. Did you know that he has firsthand experience as a shepherd? And he grew up and lived in East Africa where shepherds and shepherding were commonplace.

            In light of Keller’s life as a shepherd, he takes each portion of the Psalm and correlates it to various shepherding experiences. One sticks with me. In Chapter 10 of the book A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23, he talks about a very disturbing, and sometimes deadly pest called the nose fly. During the nose fly season, the pests swarm around the sheep. Keller tells how they try to lay their eggs in the damp, mucous membranes of the sheep’s nose. If those flies succeed and lay their eggs in the nose, when they hatch, larvae crawl up the nasal passages into the sheep’s head.  There they dig into the flesh and make a home for themselves.

            Are you grossed out yet? If the above happens, the sheep, while trying to free themselves from the internal worm activity going on in their heads may batter their heads against a tree or rock, or as he writes on page 99, “In extreme cases of intense infestation a sheep may even kill itself in a frenzied endeavor to gain respite from the aggravation.”

            Good shepherds are on the watch for fly season. When the shepherd first spots the flies, he smears a suave on the sheep’s head which protects it against the flies. Keller says, “Once the oil had been applied to the sheep’s head there was an immediate change in behavior. Gone was the aggravations...frenzy...irritability and the restlessness. Instead the sheep would start to feed quietly again, then soon lie down in peaceful contentment.”

            In the New Testament, Jesus gives us an intense look at Himself as the shepherd, the good shepherd. In John 10, He tells us just how much He cares for us and how much He is willing to sacrifice for us:

 

7 So Jesus said to them again, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. 9 I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

 

11 “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. 12 He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 He flees because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, 15 even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. (NASB)

 

            For those of our readers this week who feel in a frenzy or who are being aggravated by who knows what or by whom, turn to the Psalm 23. Copy it and take with you to work or the beach. As you have time through the day, just keep reading it through, again and again, thinking (meditating) about each verse until you are peaceful again and have quiet contentment. The Good Shepherd is there for you to have life, and have it abundantly.

In Christ

John

+++++++++++++++++++

Dana quickly responded on Fri, Aug 18, 2017 at 12:02 PM

John

     I'm afraid I will not have time to work on 23rd Psalm.  Harvest has come in like the Blitzkrieg, and we're a man short, so the old guy (me) is put to it in a greater way than my age is comfortable with, but....  This is the earliest harvest yet--don't tell Al Gore!  But for the next couple of days, my time will be severely limited.  Send me what you write on “Calling” when you can, and I'll edit or add to my part. 

     Prayers for Carol. It's always cheaper to do what the doctor says at home as opposed to the hospital. Boy, don't I know that!

     Trish has an appointment with the Congestive Heart Failure Clinic at Wake Forest on Monday, so I'll be tied up there.  Maybe someone can figure something out. God knows.

Dana