Out of Control

It really amazes me that I never knew about this. It was not brought up in driver's ed, I have never seen an article about it (although I am sure there must be articles about it -- I will check after writing this), and no one talked about in my hearing until I heard it on the radio last week.

Never use your cruise control on wet pavement.

Now that I know that, it makes obvious sense! If you hit a wet oil spot, or if you hydroplane, you have set the car to go at a particular speed. Since the wheels can't find solid pavement, it automatically speeds up, trying to reach the speed you told it you had wanted to go, right when you are fighting for control!

Trust that right foot only during such times -- it's safer.

And I automatically thought about this with regard to sanctification. Sanctification is control. Control given over to G-d and your own control of yourself and your spiritual- and life-environment.

I recently read part of an article written by a teacher in a church that stresses sanctification. Admittedly, I did not read the whole article, and intend to do so in the near future, but I quickly disagreed with the part I did read. Basically, it appeared to say that sanctification was completely up to G-d. I so disagree. He clearly says several times in Scripture, "Sanctify yourselves." Set yourself apart. Firm yourself to do what I tell you. Confirm permanently within yourself that you are Mine. Assure yourself in your own mind by My Word that your thoughts and actions are for Me: be fully persuaded, and He will assuredly do His part. Get it all into His control.

Sanctification, then, is not an emotional experience; it is living within the reality of what is by His direction.

Some of us have control issues. I do. I have a tendency to want to control my little world, giving rise to the nickname my children lovingly blessed me with: Velcro Queen. If something may move out of its place, it gets Velcroed.

But there are many kinds of control, some of which are very harmful.

Through my foray toward sanctification, I have had to learn to give up some kinds of control, in order to be in His control. Such control makes us think before we act -- makes us check our attitudes.

I got to go out for lunch with my son and his family today. We laughed as what I was saying reminded him and his wife of what their pastor had said today. They told me that the pastor preached that there are four decisions we can make at crucial moments:

1. A bad decision
2. A good decision
3. A better decision
4. The best decision

It's a control issue -- one that needs to be learned and adhered to.

1. My bad decisions come from my impulses.
2. My good decisions come from thinking.
3. My better decisions come from thinking a little longer.
4. My best decisions come from knowing what G-d wants from me, learned by studying His Word.

How much better the outcome when the decision is made because He is in control!

---

Check this snopes site.

One police site added not to use the cruise control on icy roads, which I think we all would know not to do. So why did I not consider wet roads as well?

I thought about the near-accident I'd mentioned here in an earlier post, which occurred because of bad tires. I had not been using my cruise control then, but I now know what it's like to have to control a severely fish-tailing vehicle!

Whom are you worshiping -- really?

My study continues . . . .
I am reading a couple other Telushkin books and two by other authors. One of those authors, W. Phillip Keller (also author of A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23, Lessons from a Sheep Dog, A Layman Looks at the Lord's Prayer, and numerous other books) had this to say in The High Cost of Holiness (Harvest House Publishers, 1988):

The reason such transformation ["into abundant life in God"] does not take place more often is simply that our spiritual leaders mislead people in the experience of their faith. The [average person] is induced [to invest faith] in some sort of creed, doctrine, or body of belief, . . .sometimes persuaded [to place] total confidence in "the church" . . . . All too often the individual is encouraged to place . . . complete trust in the pastor, minister, speaker. . . [sometimes falling] prey to the most pernicious sort of propaganda. [Even with the best intentions], the consequences can be utterly devastating.

The terrible fallout from such delusion has no doubt been more damaging to God's work and His wishes in the Western world than any other single factor. There are in truth literally millions . . . in our sophisticated society who are totally turned off to Christianity [because] at some stage of their past spiritual experience they had put their faith  . . . into either a creed, a church congregation, or [in clergy] only to be double-crossed.

Amein!

And when we place our trust into the Church of the Aberrant Authoritarian Facsimile of the Faith and its leadership, we have given over to human dominion what was intended to be G-d's. The nature of this absolutely excludes true sanctification (!), exchanging the Truth for a lie, worshiping the creature rather than the Creator.

The whole purpose of such a church is to feed itself and those who are its keepers. Such was the first sin of Sodom and Gomorrah, who used their wealth to make themselves fat, proud, and lazy, giving them time to indulge themselves in further sin [Ezekiel 16:46 - 50; Luke 17:28, 29]. Remember Lot's wife, who was so in the grip of that unsanctified city that she looked back longingly and was lost.

2 Peter 2:

1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.
2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.
3 And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingers not, and their damnation slumbers not.

4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;
5 and spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;
6 and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;
7 and delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked:
8 (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)
9 the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished

10 But especially those indulge the flesh with corrupt desires, despising authority: these are daring, selfwilled, and unafraid to revile angelic majesties.
11 Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, do not bring reviling accusations against them before the Lord.
12 But these, like unreasoning beasts, created to be captured and killed, speak evil of the things that they do not understand; and shall also be destroyed;
13 suffering wrong as the wages of doing wrong. They count it a pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions while they feast with you;
14 having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: their hearts trained in greed, accursed children:
15 forsaking the right way, they have gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;
16 but he was rebuked for his iniquity: the mule-donkey, speaking with a man's voice, restrained the madness of that prophet.

17 These are springs without water, mists driven by the wind; for whom darkness is reserved forever.
18 For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through fleshly desire, by sensuality, those who barely escape from those who live in error.
19 Promising them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for by what a one is overcome, by the same is that one enslaved.
20 For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled and overcome, and the latter end is worse than the beginning.
21 It had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.
22 It has happened unto them according to the true proverb: The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.

Once G-d has delivered, don't look back. Don't be enticed with smooth words or by memories of the few good times or by their momentary indulgences and flatteries of you. Remember the reality of the abyss it really was, and move on.

Oh! Now, I get it!

While at work early last week, and on the way home, I was listening to one of my favorite NPR stations. They were talking about different "disorders" among children. Even the woman who was reading the story seemed to have difficulty keeping a straight face as she told it.

Although I risk the possibly making some reader unhappy, she basically said that one of the "illnesses" was called "Conduct Disorder (CD)." She paused awhile, then she said, "In other words, bad parenting."  I thought, "Uh-huh!"

Then she went on to explain another "disorder": "Temper Dysregulation Disorder" (TDD). Again she paused, but as though she thought better of remarking, she just went on, not making anymore personal remarks after the one about "CD." Since she didn't, I explained that "disorder" to her, but my radio didn't pause at all, for her to hear my explanation.

Names for illnesses and disorders are both powerful and useful. They are good things, helping the one who suffers the malady to be able to understand it better and possibly to control it, help to correct it, and to see the proverbial "light at the end of the tunnel." Not only do names encourage us to face the problem, but names also give us a way to seek help.

Still, there are times when we overuse the "naming" process, and the names become excuses rather than a way to help ourselves. They become magic tags that lift the responsibility for trying off us, putting our bad behavior onto some plane that makes us think that we are no longer responsible. How unfortunate! Instead of using the name to overcome, we use it to wallow in our misery.

So here's what I learned: I am not really deficient in sanctification! I actually have CCCD -- Complete Consecration/Commitment Disorder, otherwise known as HDD (Holiness Deficit Disorder). It is a disorder, so it's not my fault. That is just the way it is, there is nothing I can do about it. What I need is medication to give me peace about my disorder, so that I will relax about it and quit being concerned.

Psalm 120

Removed to another blog

My Question

All day, I have been asking: Am I already fully sanctified unto G-d? Am I just asking the questions that will bring me into full compliance with sanctified maturity?

Admission

Over the last three years, I have purposely lost just over 50 pounds. Throughout that time, I have continued to wear the same clothes, until it became obvious to me that I simply could not continue.

My husband and I both happened to have a particular Tuesday off from work, and I told him that on that day, I was going to take all my (what I called) "fat clothes" out and take them, with other items, to the Goodwill. He agreed to help.

I removed about 3/5 of my clothes to give away that day, leaving some of the things I just was not yet ready to part with still hanging there. In doing so, however, I found, back where I could not reach, some clothes from another time when I "just was not yet ready to part with" them, stored in three garment bags. I had no idea what was in them.

Not able to reach them, I called my much-longer-armed husband to come help, and to our surprise and my delight, each bag had dress suits in it -- suits from thinner days! Excited I tried on the suits. All were a bit too big, some quite a bit too big, but I was able to wear most -- some as they were and some with a tuck here and a few moved buttons there.

Not long later, I received a bonus check from work. I decided that the best way to use the money was to get come clothes that would actually fit.

I sat down and thought, "What is my style?" I had no idea! After all, I had allowed myself to become overweight for all of my adult life, and I really hated shopping -- especially clothes shopping! But when I realized what my personal style was, I was not only overjoyed to realize that most of those "found suits" fit that personal style, but that when I finally dragged myself to the mall, I found new suits that also fit my personal style! I also found hats in the basement that I had been saving for years, and they worked wonderufully with "my style." I also bought one other hat I have not yet found the guts to wear -- but I will.

I mentioned some posts back that when I was a child, "I strove to entertain [my family], in order to make those around me happy, so that there would be peace for me. It was a selfish motive. . . ." I find myself in a similar position again.

While I love the idea of classic suits, whenever I can, I want some little tweek of humor added to them, so that when people meet me, they will automatically smile.

Today, I wore such an outfit to synagogue -- a new black suit with white trim, and while it looks very acceptable today, as a classic suit, it had a definite backward look toward the early-to-mid '50s. I wore a white blouse, white silk-and-feather corsage, black heels, and a black Stetson fedora tipped low over my left eyebrow -- one of the hats that had sat around my house for who-knows-how-many years.

To my delight, when people greeted me, they smiled. No, grinned! They were laughing with me! And we both knew the unspoken joke. It was absolutely delightful and great fun!

But I was, after all, at synagogue. There, all things invariably turn into a spiritual lesson, and I am naturally very introspective. First, I remembered the selfish motive I'd had as a child, attempting to make everyone laugh (see my post, "You Shall Be Holy"). Today, I thanked G-d for the joy of seeing people smiling -- happy -- without such motives. This is purely by the grace of G-d!

Second, as more serious thoughts set in, I thought of how HaShem has supplied everything we need, yet like my hidden-away, forgotten suits I could have been enjoying (while I wore the old, over-size things), we are busy trying to create our own "spiritual clothing." We try to do things our way, not seeing the far finer "spiritual clothing" He has provided. If we would only "dig back into the closet, behind our imperfect self-made spiritual clothing," and pull out the beautiful clothing the Father has provided.

Growing in Grace

4 February

I have mentioned that through my first 50 years of life, I had attended a church which stressed an “experiential” or “crisis-experience” sanctification above basically everything else. I also mentioned that during my last approximately 20 or so years there, their teachings occasionally included the idea of “growing in grace” following sanctification.

As I was driving home from work tonight, I recalled one slightly damp Sabbath, when I was hurrying to pick up a friend on the way to synagogue. My route took me from the freeway onto an underpass. I was used to the route and thought nothing particular about it, having traveled it many times over my 22+ years here. It rains here 36 - 40 inches per year, so no big deal; after all, I’d driven the same underpass -- in pouring rain -- many times.

However, what had slipped my mind, in my hurried morning, was that I had become very unhappy with my tires. They were only about two years old, but something just wasn’t right about them. I had spoken to my husband about my frustration with tires that were not old, yet they simply were not responding right over the last couple months.

I slowed slightly as I took the underpass, but when I came to the area where I was to turn left with the road, I turned the wheel, but the car, to my horror and shock, went straight! I silently screamed to G-d, “Help me!” as the car jumped the curb, crossed the dirt, and jumped the other curb. It was flying!

There is absolutely NO control when a vehicle has taken flight!

I flew across the two lanes of merging underpass, barely touching pavement, heading straight for a cement barrier that was not likely to keep me from flying over it, down into the trees below.

Suddenly, inches from the cement barrier, as I tried to steer, the car whipped around in another 360 and headed back across two lanes, where cars were coming toward me at a fairly high speed. I tried to steer, and it whipped back again in a near-360, heading back for the cement barrier! Again, I pulled at the wheel, and the car whipped toward where I should have been going, but it still fish-tailed violently. Twice more, I tried to straighten it out, and finally, stopped, at least the car was pointing toward the right direction, and I was able to move into the flow of traffic.

Horrified, I realized that the tires had to go. Immediately! I picked up my friend, went to synagogue, thanking HaShem for His guidance and help that day. And I went home by another way.

I soon bought new tires. Perellis! Road-gripping, rain-handling, Perellis. New ones – not some that looked pretty but had sat in some warehouse passing their 6-year shelf-life – and the rain is not a major thought for me anymore.

As I was driving home from work tonight, I thought about how sometimes, we treat our relationship with the L-rd in the same way I had treated my old tires. When I began to be uncomfortable about them, rather than just taking care of the problem, I griped about it, wondered about it, thought about how the old tires should not have been in that condition, felt ripped off. . . .

But I didn’t do anything.

It took getting whipped and bounced around, looking over a precipice, and heading back toward fast-moving traffic to get me to the point of action, even though through that time, I kept remembering the words of one of the teachers at the synagogue. He said that when we drive a dangerous vehicle, we are in disobedience. Such a vehicle may as well be a large cannon with the fuse lit, pointed at our fellow human beings on the road, because it is just as deadly!

And sometimes in life, we are warned and warned. Something just isn’t right. We’re uncomfortable, but rather than just taking care of the problem, we gripe about it, wonder about it, think about it, and feel ripped off. And all the time, the solution is so simple: cooperate with the L-rd and let Him take care of the situation as we work to do our part and to inform ourselves! *

It is not about some long ago "experience" we once had, or some time in the past when we felt particularly blessed, that counts in living out today: it is being available before HaShem, to let him grow us in grace. How? He says to hear His voice – to stay were we can hear His voice. And if we have wandered a little, He hasn’t: He’s still in the same place He always was.

According to the Bible, then, we have to find an acceptable time to approach Him [Psalm 69:13; Zechariah 7]. Well, when is the acceptable time? When He has called, and we have quit playing games.

-----------------------------------------------

* After I had already posted this, a pet peeve of mine came to mind: I used to hear people say that in such a situation, they let go of the wheel of the car, and miraculously, G-d guided it to a safe place. There is even a song on Christian radio that touts this idea, "Jesus take the wheel." Oh, I know the song is allegory, but it isn't common sense! Since when does the L-rd tell us, in the process of normal living, to stop thinking, to sit back and do nothing, and leave everything up to Him?


-----------------------------------------------


Oh, yes. And when you buy tires, be sure you look to see how old they are before accepting them! Please visit this site.

Shabbat (final download)

On the Friday evening of Shabbat, we pray prayers that are mainly psalms from the Bible. These psalms thank G-d for the blessing of Shabbat, for the peace and rest it brings with it, for the time spent with our G-d, for family, for those who take Him seriously in their halachah.

Some of these prayers are specific to those seated at the table and for close family that may or may not be there. Although there are later personal prayers for the children and for the single adults, the last of these particular psalms prayed at our table are for the husband, prayed by the wife: Psalm 1 and/or Psalm 112. Before this, however, my husband prays a blessing over me: Proverbs 31:10-31. You know what it says. And toward the end, that chapter says, "Give her the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates."

I have a theory regarding the Shabbat prayers for the wife (which, incidentally, also applies to the prayers for the husband).

The wife has an opportunity to sit in the glow of that prayer as her husband prays it, as it tells all the work that she does. It starts with "An excellent wife, who can find? For her worth is far above rubies." And my face glows. Then it goes on, and there are times when conviction sets in. Have I done well, as the woman my husband prays for? Have I done my best?

Then it gets to the part where it says, "Give her the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates." And I know that the "fruit of [my] hands" will only be as good as I have made it and have given, except for two factors: the grace of our G-d and the blessing of my husband -- in spite of me.

But the other thing that prayer from Proverbs 31 does is help me -- it spurs me on! -- to do better, to improve, to have hope that I can be a better person somehow through the grace of G-d!

The fact is that when I receive praise from others, I want to cry out, "But I am not all that you have said! I am so needy of G-d's grace! I am so negligent at times! I live with me! I know What I am!" And I want to ask the person to take back their words. I know I am not "all that"!

Yet their words, their hope in what they believe they see in me, make me want to do better. Like the Proverb, I start wondering, "Can I become what they think I am?" I don't think I can, but admittedly, they spur me on to try.

--------------------------------------------------

This is the last of the downloads from my journal.

--------------------------------------------------

For fun: you have to see this!

Elul 5769

I had written during the month of Elul:
"Some of what I thought about:
"Although one of the concepts I tried to learn about was anger, I must admit that I still think of anger as sin. Isn't it odd how when the Bible is clear on a concept, we still fall victim to those things we've been taught rather than the Truth of the Word? Obviously sanctification must include adamant rethinking of what we have been taught with knowledgeable comparison to what the Bible really says! How many times do I have to relearn this?"

◌ "Don't rush to reach a negative conclusion about another. Thus, if you see someone of whom you have reason to think well engaging in behavior that seems wrong, don't assume that all that you've thought about the person is wrong, for there may be an explanation for the person's behavior that has never occurred to you" [Telushkin, pages 71-72].
And how many times have I had to learn this?

A Victory

Moved to another blog

Anger

Maybe I am starting to understand something. In the old church, I was taught that sanctification meant, for one thing, never being angry. Hm-m-m. Interesting. Then I guess G-d is not sanctified. Wow.

Okay, G-d got angry. Often, in Hebrew, it says that His nose got hot! (I love that! That's quite descriptive!) You may read this in Deuteronomy 1:37; 9:8, 20; 1 Kings 11:9; Psalms 2:5; and Romans 1:18 for just a few, if you don't happen to remember.

Yeshua got angry. Mark 3:5. And can we imagine He wasn't angry with the misuse of the Temple on the day He used a whip and overturned the tables to get the thieves out of it? (The old church taught me that He wasn't angry!)

Then, the anger of G-d is always righteous anger; my anger is not always righteous! However, rather than promise that we won't be angry, the Bible teaches us not to have easy tempers -- not to be quickly angered. It teaches us how to treat our own anger. It teaches us how to treat those who tend toward easy-anger. It warns us about how to treat those who are angry.

The following is a long list of texts, and rather than just giving references, I want to put the Scriptures here, so you will not have to look them up. There will be some repeated Scriptures.

Rather than promise that we won't be angry, the Bible teaches us not to have easy tempers -- not to be quickly angered.
◌ Proverbs 14:17 A quick-tempered man acts foolishly
◌ Proverbs 15:18 A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, But the slow to anger calms a dispute.
◌ Proverbs 16:32 He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, And he who rules his spirit, than he who captures a city.
◌ Proverbs 19:11 A man's discretion makes him slow to anger, And it is his glory to overlook a transgression.

It teaches us how to treat our own anger.
◌ Proverbs 12:16 A fool's anger is known at once, But a prudent man conceals dishonor.
◌ Proverbs 14:17 A quick-tempered man acts foolishly
◌ Proverbs 15:1 A gentle answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger.
◌ Proverbs 15:18 A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, But the slow to anger calms a dispute.
◌ Proverbs 16:14 The fury of a king is {like} messengers of death, But a wise man will appease it. 15 In the light of a king's face is life, And his favor is like a cloud with the spring rain.
◌ Proverbs 16:32 He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, And he who rules his spirit, than he who captures a city.
◌ Proverbs 19:11 A man's discretion makes him slow to anger, And it is his glory to overlook a transgression.
◌ Proverbs 19:19 {A man of} great anger will bear the penalty, For if you rescue {him,} you will only have to do it again.
◌ Proverbs 21:23 - 24 He who guards his mouth and his tongue, Guards his soul from troubles. "Proud," "Haughty," "Scoffer," are his names, Who acts with insolent pride.
◌ Proverbs 25:23 The north wind brings forth rain, And a backbiting tongue, an angry countenance.
◌ Ecclesiastes 7:9 Do not be eager in your heart to be angry, For anger resides in the bosom of fools.
◌ Matthew 5:22 "But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, `You good-for-nothing,' shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, `You fool,' shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.
◌ Ephesians 4:26 - 27 BE ANGRY, AND yet DO NOT SIN; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and do not give the devil an opportunity.
◌ Ephesians 4:31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.
◌ Romans 12:19 Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, "VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY," says the Lord.
◌ 1 Corinthians 13:5 does not act unbecomingly; it does R510 not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered,
◌ Colossians 3:8 But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth.
◌ Titus 1:7 For the overseer must be above reproach as God's steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of sordid gain,

It teaches us how to treat those who tend toward easy-anger.
◌ Proverbs 19:19 {A man of} great anger will bear the penalty, For if you rescue {him,} you will only have to do it again.
◌ Proverbs 20:2 The terror of a king is like the growling of a lion; He who provokes him to anger forfeits his own life.
◌ Proverbs 21:14 A gift in secret subdues anger, And a bribe in the bosom, strong wrath.
◌ Proverbs 22:24 Do not associate with a man {given} to anger; Or go with a hot-tempered man,
◌ Ephesians 6:4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
◌ Colossians 3:21 Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so that they will not lose heart.

It warns us about how to treat the angry.
◌ Proverbs 21:19 It is better to live in a desert land Than with a contentious and vexing woman.
◌ Proverbs 27:3 A stone is heavy and the sand weighty, But the provocation of a fool is heavier than both of them.
◌ Proverbs 29:22 An angry man stirs up strife, And a hot-tempered man abounds in transgression.
◌ Ecclesiastes 7:9 Do not be eager in your heart to be angry, For anger resides in the bosom of fools.
◌ Ecclesiastes 5:16 This also is a grievous evil--exactly as a man is born, thus will he die. So what is the advantage to him who toils for the wind?
◌ Romans 2:8 8 but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation. 9 There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek, 10 but glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 11 For there is no partiality with God.

How did Yeshua treat wrath? I just love this!
◌ Luke 4:25 "But I say to you in truth, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the sky was shut up for three years and six months, when a great famine came over all the land;
4:26 and yet Elijah was sent to none of them, but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.
4:27 "And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian."
4:28 And all the people in the synagogue were filled with rage as they heard these things;
4:29 and they got up and drove Him out of the city, and led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city had been built, in order to throw Him down the cliff.
4:30 But passing through their midst, He went His way.

I sit back, reading this, and just smile. Wow! He's surrounded by an angry, convicted crowd that is driving Him toward a cliff, and He just walks through them and disappears. It is wondrous that He got away from these grasping, vicious people!

But while we don't have such powers, we do have the ability to walk away, if our pride does not prevent us. How hard is it for us to just walk away from an argument, when we realize that nothing we say will mean anything anyway? It is interesting to do this in our writings, bloggings, and forums, too, because we all know that some will think we walked away because we could not answer or could not "hold our own" in the fray. But can we do it anyway, when we recognize that continuing is of no value to the other person, to us, or to G-d?

Thoughts About Death and Judgment

◌ "The one occasion on which people generally appreciate that the highest priority is goodness is the funeral . . . . What matters most . . . is the legacy of goodness that we leave behind. Were we loyal friends and fair employers? Did we extend ourselves when others needed help? Were we loving and kind to our spouse? Did we leave our children with a feeling of being loved and appreciated? Did we inspire them to want to do good?" [Telushkin]

Telushkin brings up Green Bay Packers football coach Vince Lombardi and his life's mission, regarding how he dealt with the game. His mission statement was "Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing." However, in life, Rabbi Shimon Finkelman responded, "Winning isn't everything, doing what is right is everything."

Returning to an earlier passage in Telushkin's book (see my first post for the name ans USB), I thought of writing two obituaries for myself then: one telling reality and one of what should have been. This thought was based upon what Telushkin said a friend does.

------------------------------------------

On that note, last night, my husband and I hosted a man who represents a local funeral home. We are checking buying a plot there and getting a funeral plan through them. He brought what was likely the usual stuff -- a book for each of us to plan things out and leave in a sealed plastic bag in the refrigerator - the place he said would be the first medical personnel would look for meds, should they be called to our home, and the place that does not burn in a fire.

Plan things out -- things like our last words, what should be on our headstone, and even a place to write our own obituaries. Well, I have my very seriouos side, but as you may have noticed, I have my extremely unserious side! I would love to leave an obituary that would make people laugh! (Dare I?!)

But at the same time, I would like to write one that praises HaShem for His grace and mercy that has brought me to this place!

------------------------------------------

Common American New Year's activities are all about partying; Rosh HaShannah is a serious, introspective holy day -- one to make us think. Telushkin has a friend who writes a new obituary for himself every New Year (Rosh HaShannah). One obituary declares what his life has truly been like up to that point; the other obituary tells what his life could have been like, had he done things differently. I think this is a great practice, and I intend to start doing it.

------------------------------------------

◌ "In justice you shall judge your fellow."
◌ The NASB says, "You shall do no injustice in judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor nor defer to the great, but you are to judge your neighbor fairly" [Leviticus 19:15].

◌ Telushkin writes that "throughout the day, almost all of us make judgments about others, many of which are harsh and unfair." The store clerk, a child, a teen, another driver, a sibling, a religious leader. And sometimes, that judgment spills over in our minds to include whole groups of similar persons -- all clerks, all teens, all from an ethnic or racial group. Telushkin writes, "this verse obligates us to judge righteously, which means to be fair" [p 70].

So we can smile, nod, and say, "Of course. This one is simple."

Is it?

Recently, after a longer-than-usual tedious Friday, my thoughts were on getting home and starting Sabbath, which to me means worship, study, and rest. Of course, I still needed to go to the grocery store to get the goodies for our evening meal that starts the Shabbat. I usually do this alone, but my husband volunteered to go with me (the sweetheart!).

We went to the counter at which customers check themselves out, and as soon as I put my last item on the scanner, a man came up and put his things on the counter, crowding in. I had not yet even run my debit card or bagged those few off-items needing special treatment.

I was irritated. He was so near, that he would be able to see my ID code as I put it in the register! Nervously, I shielded myself as best I could from him and put the numbers in -- the wrong numbers for the debit card I had chosen to use! So, of course, it stalled the check-out process.

My husband chuckled. That really irritated me. Saying nothing, I input the correct number, finished bagging, and left the area.

"G-d, help my attitude! I feel crabby now, and I don't mean to be. Help me!"

Now, I am the type that just doesn't say much when irritated, but this time, I decided to ask my husband why he chuckled when I put in the wrong number. "It wasn't you -- it was the guy crowding you. What you did not see was that he ended up having to wait because he was so persistent at crowding in on you that he lost his place in line, so the next people got to another checkout before him. He was not happy."

(Wow. All this pettiness. This is both hard and embarrassing to admit, but it is the truth, and I said I would tell of what I learn along with the things I fail in!)

I judged the man, and I wrongly judged my husband. Was I wrong in my judgment of the man? Maybe so, maybe not. Did I react toward the man? Well, no, but I wanted to! But I did decide on a plan for the next time someone crowds in while I am trying to input my private debit number.

More Quotations #3

As mentioned previously, I love to collect things people say, so I thought I would add a page of that just for fun. Some of these are related to the subject of biblical ethics.

◌ Forgiveness is mine; I will repay.
Something that came to me as I was giving up a part of me that needed desperately to be in our G-d's hands some months ago.

◌ I cannot repay you with my lack of forgiveness, unless I receive permission from my Bookkeeper [similar to what Tim H said].

◌ Heads, I win; tails, you lose. ~~ An ancient Jewish saying

◌ If a Cretan says, "All Cretans are liars," is he lying? ~~ an ancient saying.

◌ Blame-shifting is surely a tell-tale sign of a rebellious heart. ~~ Tim H

◌ Cash in the hand is the best bargainer. ~~ Baba Metzia

◌ Who is strong? He who overcomes his desire. ~~ Ben Zoma

◌ Every commandment gives us another opportunity to honor HaShem. ~~ Tim H

◌ In accord with the effort is the reward. ~~ Avot 5:24

◌ What is the worst thing the "evil urge" can achieve? To make one forget that he is the son of a King. ~~ Rabbi Shelomo

◌ Roast your meat while the fire is burning ~~ Sanhedrin

◌ Everything G-d does is for the best. ~~ Berachot

◌ Know what is above us all -- an Eye which sees and an Ear which hears. ~~ Perkei Avot 2:1:IIE

◌ G-d does not wait for people to be perfect to take up His abode with them. ~~ Tim H

◌ I am not concerned about my identity with people; I am concerned about my identity with HaShem.

◌ Israel is not complete without the sojourners who join her. ~~ Tim H

◌ Do not judge your fellow until you are in his place. ~~ Hillel, Perkei Avot 2:4:IVF

◌ "He who learns when a child -- what is he like? Ink put down on a clean piece of paper. And he who learns when an old man -- what is he like? Ink put down on a paper full of erasures." ~~ Elisha b. Abuyah

◌ He who learns from old men -- what is he like? He who eats ripe grapes and drinks vintage wine. ~~ Avot 5:20

◌ Not the learning is the main thing but the doing. ~~ Simeon Perkei Avot 1:17 11A

◌ Move the learning into your heart. ~~ Perkei Avot 3:8:A:E

◌ (Of Scripture) Learning is inhaling; praising is exhaling . . . breathing back out to G-d ~~ Tim H

◌ It is not the mouse that is the thief but the hole ~~ Gitin

A job not yet done, so this title will remind me . . .

Up to this point, I have been copying posts from another journal into this blog, with many added notes and changes. I am getting near the bottom of those previous journal-posts.

In doing that, this copied post stood out to me especially today:
◌ "These 'be Holy' Scriptures, with instructions on how to be holy, are all through the Bible: why did I miss those instructions -- the actual 'how tos' -- for so long? And now that I am seeing them clearly, I am responsible for them. That is an awesome and sobering thought."

While I was studying this subject, I had decided to look at sanctification in the teaching books we still have from the church we -- my husband and me -- used to attend. I have not really looked into that fully yet, but this is what I remember being taught, not in their words but in mine:
◌ That sanctification is a crisis experience on the fast track toward a greater "experience," all three of which are necessary for "seeing the
L-rd."
◌ That if we were sanctified (by that crisis experience), we were perfect, we were holy. The root of sin was absolutely, completely eradicated -- no longer there! We would not sin again -- ever. And if, for some reason, we did anything they considered to be sin, we would lose our salvation and sanctification, necessitating "starting over."
◌ Then after a young man, who had been reared in a different religion, began to preach in the Minneapolis church I attended, it was the first time I had ever heard of "progressive sanctification."
◌ Later, I heard the idea of "progressive sanctification" preached in that church organization by others. It was not that any of their teachers neglected the idea of the crisis experience, but that "progressive sanctification" was preached as an addition to crisis-sanctification, after the experience. The idea of progressive sanctification was a huge relief to me.

So, it is time for me to read what they wrote in their literature about sanctification, so that I will understand what they really intended. In my 50+ years in that church, I had many teachers in many cities, as did my husband. I did learn that their teachers, while the church frowned on any differences in their teachers, did, indeed, teach some differing ideas.

Mulling It Over

◌ "Letting pride or stubbornness stop us from acknowledging a mistake. . . . One who makes a mistake and doesn't correct it is making a second mistake" [p. 61] "Remember Jephtah, whose vow proved to violate Torah when his daughter came through the doors, then he blamed his daughter [Judges 11:1 - 12:7]" [Telushkin].

◌ "I have no time at all [is] often the rationale for not doing things we can do but choose not to do" [Telushkin].
I don't have time to visit the sick one in the hospital. I don't have time to volunteer at the prolife clinic, the soup kitchen, the food cellar; to take tea with the elderly lady next door; to pop in at a neighbor's house with a special treat. But I have two hours for NCIS, If Walls Could Talk, and M*A*S*H. "I have no time." I've said it. Guilty as charged.

Someone once reminded me that I have the same amount of time as every other person in the world: 24 hours seven days weekly, perfectly planned by Omniscient G-d.

-------------------------------------------

From a recent service I attended at BH, a look at Yeshua:
The teacher chose to first take a look at Yeshua, even though this subject was not on the agenda for the day. One reason was because of a Scripture used --
Titus 2:11 - 14:
◌ 11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men,
12 instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age,
13 looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus,
14 who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.

The teacher drew our attention to "The glory of our great G-d and Savior, Messiah Yeshua . . ." in 2:13, then he had us look at Romans 9:5 ("the Messiah according to the flesh, Who is over all, G-d blessed forever.") Then (Acts 20:28 "the congregation of G-d which He purchased with His own blood") then John 1:18 ("the only begotten G-d") and the G-d of Revelation who is like jasper and sardius -- stones, jewels we don't know about for sure -- His hair like white wool, like snow; His eyes like flaming fire; His face like polished bronze glowing in fire, His voice like the sound of great moving waters; His face shining like the noon sun.

No Artist Could Make This Picture! It makes me want to stand up and shout, "I want to see You!" What a sight! Could our eyes, could our thoughts, even contain just the sight of Him -- the Yeshua, the Risen One! G-d who can be seen, who spoke "mouth to mouth" with Moses! What a picture! What a G-d we serve!

Much of the lesson was about things discussed in this thread, because it included Deuteronomy 24:1 - 25:19 as well as Hosea 10:11 - 11:11. The lesson ended with the verse I am striving to obey in this study:
◌ "You shall be holy, for I, Adonai your G-d, am holy" [Leviticus 11:45; 19:2; 1 Peter 1:16]

Once home, in mulling over the day's lesson, I took interest in the rest of that chapter in 1 Peter, especially in verses 14 - 17, 22, and 23:
◌ 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance,
15 but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior;
16 because it is written, "YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY."
17 If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth; . . .
22 Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart,
23 for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.

Come, Let Us Rationalize Together

◌ Rationalization: see Leviticus 27:10 -- No excuses or substitutions in the sacrificial beast. According to Maimonides, this was "a response to the human tendency to rationalize" [p. 60] "More than any other character flaw, rationalization makes repentance and self-improvement impossible." Telushkin goes on to write that rationalization, in other words, justifying, wrong behavior will stop, end, make impossible repentance.

◌ "Having a greater concern with prevailing in an argument than with being right. . . . Are there people who so annoy or antagonize you that the moment you hear them assert something, your mind starts searching for arguments to refute it? . . . A fact or a valid argument should be acknowledged as true, whatever its source" [p 61]

I know that I have a problem sometimes with hesitation, within a biblical argument, to debate, to give an opposing opinion, when it will counter someone who is acutely special to me and even when it is contrary to the opinion of someone I believe I know better than others. Sometimes, it just hurts to say/write what I think must be said/written for the sake of my honesty. But I think we need such a strong love for the truth, coupled with such a strong love for people, that we will develop a technique that is ultra-honest and still profoundly respectful for such "opponents."

Oh, my G-d and L-rd, Father of us all! I pray for such an ability that remembers You gave Your life's blood for those who may love me best as well as for those who appear to hate me! And while You help me with this, guide me, please, to honor You in my attitudes and words to all!

Truth

Truth. What is it? Does it have value? Should we pursue it as the greatest prize, no matter what discomfort it may bring?

◌ "Buy the truth and sell it not" [Psalm 91:4].

◌ "Truth makes the devil blush" [Thomas Fuller}.

◌ "What governs [people] is fear of truth" [Henri Frederic Amiel].

◌ "Truth is incontrovertible. Panic may resent it; ignorance may deride it; malice may distort it; but there it is" [Sir Winston Churchill].

◌ Emet (transliterated from Hebrew, truth). Truth is G-d's own seal. The three-letter word constitutes the first, middle, and last letters of the alephbet.
Conversely, sheqer (transliterated from Hebrew, lie) consists of three letters huddled in an unsuitable order, shivering like a maleficent milquetoast near the end of the alephbet, not quite there, unable to make a stand.

◌ "Shall error in the round of time
Still father truth?" [Alfred Lord Tennyson].

◌ "Yeshua said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me'" [John 14:6].

◌ "Feelings may come and go but truth remains forever" [John Miles].

◌ "All mentally healthy individuals submit themselves to the demands of their own conscience. Not so the evil, however. In the conflict between their guilt and their will, it is the guilt that must go and the will that must win" [M. Scott Peck in People of the Lie].

◌ "As a Christian I have no duty to allow myself to be cheated, but I have the duty to be a fighter for truth and justice." "It is not truth that matters, but victory." "Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it, and eventually they will believe it." ~~ Adolph Hitler

◌ "Although 'white lie integrity' may be normative, it is not spiritually healthy. . . . It subtly expands and leads us . . . into a kind of uncritical acceptance of all kinds of dishonesty" [J. Keith Miller].

◌ It took me twenty-one years to study truthfulness: seven years to learn what truth is, seven years to drive out falsehood, and seven years to acquire truth as my own personal treasure" [Rabbi Pinchas].

And finally, for those in the Northwestern United States:
◌ I am a part of the fellowship of the unashamed" [Bob Moorehead; senior pastor; radio minister; from a book, A Life of Integrity].

Confession

"Ane open confessione is good for the soul" [c 1641 in E. Beveridge D. Fergusson's Scottish Proverbs (1924) no. 159].

However --
"Confession may be good for the soul but not if it's being broadcast" [2002 Washington Times 1 Sept. D7].

Oops! I have already made many confessions. While not many persons will likely read this blog, I have broadcast my faults :-D.

◌ I do not see myself as wholely, completely sanctified -- as a finished product.
◌ That I am incapable of working myself into sanctification.
◌ That I am extremely faulty.
◌ That I am weak, totally dependent upon Yeshua.
◌ That I am selfish . . . and more.

Furthermore, when I unloaded my earlier post today, it named specific things that are against the H Spirit -- things that are fleshly, things that are not conducive to sanctified living. While I did not look up the words in Greek or study them, of them, I see myself further guilty of often being arrogant, having dissensions, being divisive, foolish talking, being greedy, reviling, being self-willed, and being vain.

There. I have confessed. But confession without repentance is without value. My next job is to work on these things with the help of my Messiah Yeshua, who is able to change me, to mold me, to mature me into what he intends me to be. Bless the L-rd, oh my soul! All that is within me -- bless His holy Name!

Know Yourself

◌ "Knowing oneself means being self-aware in a balanced way, and neither focusing only on your strengths (the source of arrogance) or only on your weaknesses (the source of low self-esteem. . . . Rachel, . . . the epitome of a loving mother [Jeremial 31:15] . . . envied her sister leah . . . . Knowing Rachel's envy should make us aware that we must not deny our faults [as the Bible does not deny those of Rachel (or anyone else) but recognize and work on them, and always be aware of how those negative qualities may influence what we do" (perhaps to teach us that we too can be good people without being perfect)" [etz Hayim].

"The more conscious we are of our weaknesses, the more we can limit their impact on our lives and the lives of others" [Telushkin, p. 58].

Guard against my weaknesses. Make a fence around them. Identify my weaknesses, then refrain from any behavior that may bring about a possibility of temptation. See Deuteronomy 25:13 - 14 which "not only prohibits using false weights and measures, but outlaws having them in our possession."

◌ "Unwholesome and bad qualities such as envy, vengefulness, ingratitude, laziness, and self-centeredness are usually deeply rooted. Because such traits can be subdued, although rarely fully conquered, the battle against them can last a lifetime. . . . The moment we believe that we have reached such a high spiritual and ethical level that we no longer need to work on ourselves, we are likely to fall" [Telushkin, p. 59].

◌ 1 Corinthians 10:1 (KJV) For I would not, brethren, have you ignorant, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;
2 and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
3 and did all eat the same spiritual food;
4 and did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of a spiritual rock that followed them: and the rock was Christ.
5 Howbeit with most of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.
7 Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.
8 Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.
9 Neither let us make trial of the Lord, as some of them made trial, and perished by the serpents.
10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them murmured, and perished by the destroyer.
11 Now these things happened unto them by way of example; and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages are come.
12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.
13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as man can bear: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation make also the way of escape, that ye may be able to endure it.

King Solomon started well, but his end was disastrous. Surrounded by foreign wives, he built high places for them to worship in, then he began to worship the Phoenecian goddess Ashtoreth and the Ammonite god Milcom [1 Kings 11:4 - 5].

Oh, my love for quotations! This was just too good a quotation! I must included it!
"The fact we don't have many things we desire is not a sign that we are leading a deprived life; it is more likely a sign that we want too much" [Telushkin].

What Must Be eliminated?

In my post yesterday, I had written,"Since I looked at the elements of holy living, I thought it necessary to also look at the elements of the unholy life."

◌"The flesh sets its desire against the Spirit" [Galatians 5:17]
From Galatians 5:19 - 21
immorality (includes selfishness)
impurity
sensuality (includes selfishness)
idolatry
sorcery
enmity
strife (includes selfishness)
jealousy (includes selfishness)
angry outbursts (often includes selfishness)
disputes (often includes selfishness)
dissensions (often includes selfishness)

(Wow! I'm going to quit adding "often includes selfishness" because most, if not all, of these do!!)

factions
envy
drunkenness
carousing
-- things like this.

From Ephesians 5:1 - 8
fornication
all uncleanness
covetousness
filthiness
foolish talking (has anyone studied this?)
idolatry

From 2 Peter 2:10 -
daring attitude toward righteousness
self-willed
reviling
revelry
deception
carousing
adultery
enticing (to do wrong)
greediness
forsaking righteousness
being empty persons
arrogance
vanity
having fleshly desire
sensuality
living in error
being slaves of corruption

◌ 2 Peter 2:19 By what one is overcome, by this that one is enslaved.
22 A dog to its vomit . . . . A sow to wallowing in the mire.

◌ Prayer:
Psalm 139:23 Search me, O G-d, and know my heart;
Try me and know my anxious thoughts;
24 And see if there be any hurtful way in me,
And lead me in the everlasting way.