"Palm Sunday" - a short poem...a spirit's cry. (Are we the same as they?)

                                                           Palm Sunday 

                            You looked down into the hearts in Jerusalem and wept,
                             saddened by the many things that kept
                             the people from truly looking at You.

                            When you look into my heart, do You also weep,
                             saddened by the many things that keep
                             me from truly seeing You?

                             Soon, You'll be killed on the Cross.
                             This, then, is my spirit's cry:
                             that You help me leave these ugly things
                             there with You...to die.

                             After three days, You will be alive again!
                             But must those things that keep me from You
                             be resurrected, too?
                             Never!
                             They must stay nailed to the Cross,
                             dead forever.
                                                                                        (Becky Rhon) 

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"As He approached Jerusalem and saw the city, He wept over it, and said, 'If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace...but...you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you.'" (Luke 19:41,44)    

                            May our hearts always recognize His touch, His voice, 
                                            His presence at our side...
                                               His "coming to us".




 

Turning 62 is OK, as long as I don't turn into an "ultracrepidarian".

Yesterday I had my 62nd birthday.  My daughter asked me if I felt older, and I told her the truth:  "No, I don't.  As far as how I feel, I could be 42."  Maybe it's because age sort of creeps stealthily up on us and takes us by surprise!

I think this baby picture of me was taken when I was almost 2 years old.  It's on my naturalization certificate (I was born in Mexico), dated December 1955 - but I don't know when the photo itself was taken.  Curls all over...but Mom told me that when I was born, I was so bald that when she wanted to put a hair bow on me, she had to tape it to my  head!

No, I don't mind getting older.  But I don't ever want to become an "ultracrepidarian", like some "old" people do.  What is an "ultracrepidarian"?  It's someone who doesn't know what he's talking about! It describes a person whose comments, judgements, advice, etc., are not at all within his/her expertise or knowledge. Actually, one doesn't have to be "old" to qualify!  Lots of younger people fit the description. So instead of telling someone, "You don't know what you're talking about", we can just say, "You are such an ultracrepidarian!"  (What a fun word!)
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Job's "friend" Elihu saw him as suffering from this affliction (even if the word hadn't been invented yet in whatever language he spoke back then!). "So Job opens his mouth with empty talk; without knowledge he multiplies words." (Job 35:16)

Then Job himself admitted it:  "Surely I spoke of things I did not understand."  (Job 42:3)
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I really like Proverbs 19:2:  "It is not good to have zeal without knowledge."  We can be enthused, all fired-up, excited about topics or projects...maybe even consider ourselves "zealous".  But if we don't know enough about the subject, the situation or the scenario, what we say can end up sounding ridiculous...or crazy...or dangerous...or just stupid and annoying.  (And here we thought we sounded so cool and smart and wise!)

The only Person who never, ever could be called an ultracrepidarian is God Himself.  That's so comforting, knowing that whatever He says, He always says it from a position of the highest authority and knowledge, and with the finest, noblest objectives in mind.  So we can trust every word that comes from Him.  He said: "So is the word that goes out of my mouth:  It will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."  (Isaiah 55:11)
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Because the psalmist trusted what God had said, he wrote "Your promise renews my life."  (Psalm 119:50)

                                  "Every word of God is flawless."  (Proverbs 30:5)
                                       Who better to teach us how to use ours?
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Weird insurances, like...against virgin birth??

You can take your pick of insurance plans for so many things.  How about insuring against attacks by zombies, vampires, or ghosts?  Better yet, insure yourself against alien abduction!  The first company to offer this pays out the enormous amount of $1 - (that's one dollar) - a year,  either until you die or for a million years...whichever comes first.  (After all, who knows how long one can live with alien technology?) 

But the weirdest one I've read about is insurance against virgin birth...(an "immaculate conception"...like Mary's  2000 years ago).  Three sisters in Europe (presumably virgins)  have taken this policy out, in case one of them is chosen to give birth to the Messiah at His Second Coming.  After all, it would take a lot of money to rear Jesus!

They're pretty mixed up, aren't they? Jesus' birth so long ago was a piece of history that will never be repeated. What makes these sisters believe that when Jesus comes again, He's once more going to be born to a virgin? As most of us know, that's not even close to what the Bible tells us!

"At that time...they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory.  And He will send his angels with a loud trumpet call..."  (Matthew 24:30,31)

At Jesus' ascension, angels told the disciples, "This Jesus, who has been taken from you into Heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into Heaven."  (Acts 1:11)  NOT "the same way He came the first time"!
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How blessed we are to have that heavenly hope, that feeling of amazing anticipation, the eternal excitement of knowing that Jesus our Messiah will return!  (If you don't feel that way about it...something's wrong!)  Many years ago, in Australia, I actually asked Jesus to wait a while before coming back!  I was pregnant with my first child, and I wanted to know what it was like to be a mother before He returned.  Then I had a dream that changed my whole outlook.  It was incredible, awesome!  (Do you want to know what it was like? I wrote about it in another post.  Here's the link: A dream of Jesus' return
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Having insurance (health, life, auto, etc.) can be a smart thing, assuring us of  help to cope with whatever comes our way.  How about in our souls and spirit?  There we have the assurance of our Father's love and strength to help us cope "with whatever comes our way".

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and I will help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."  (Isaiah 41:10)
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Paul said, "I know Whom I have believed and am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day."  (II Timothy 1:12)

Until Jesus comes again, we can say with Job, "As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last He will take his stand upon the earth."  (19:25) 

"Curse your neighbor?"

It sure took him by surprise!  My husband Germán was invited to preach at a church in El Paso.  After the meeting, people came up to talk to him and ask for prayer, etc.  One man's request was totally unexpected.  "I'd like you to put a curse on my neighbor!"  Oh my!

The poor fellow obviously had the wrong idea...about a lot of things!  Germán did his best to straighten him out.  The curse this guy was thinking of was the kind associated with black magic.  And those curses can be very real.  But there is another aspect to the whole scenario of "cursing", one which has nothing to do with witchcraft...and everything to do with being fallen human beings!

A curse is also defined as rude or offensive words directed in anger, or wishing something evil or unpleasant to happen to someone with whom you're angry.  Most of us would never dream of contacting a real witch and asking for a magic curse.  But many of us have trouble keeping unloving, injurious words from slipping out when we're mad!
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Describing the problem:
"With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness.  Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing.  My brothers, this should not be."  (James 3:9,10)

"With their mouths they bless, but in their hearts they curse."  (Proverbs 62:4)

What to do:
"Bless those who persecute you, bless and do not curse."   (Romans 12:14)

"We work hard with our own hands.  When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; when we are slandered, we answer kindly."   (I Corinthians 4:12,13)
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Examples:
Jesus: "When they hurled their insults at Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threat.  Instead, He entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly."   (I Peter 2:23)

Angels: "Yet even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful, do not bring slanderous accusations...in the presence of the Lord."  (II Peter 2:11)     (So who are we to try it?!)
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  God's challenge:

"See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse - the blessing if you obey the commands of the Lord your God... the curse if you disobey the commands of the Lord your God and turn from the way that I command you..."   (Deuteronomy 11:26-28)

That's the kind of curse to really do something about!  God handles all that kind of stuff so much better than we do!  Let's leave it to Him.


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If we're careful about this...there's even a reward!  "Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing."   (I Peter 3:9)

And don't worry if others "curse" you, in any form.  Here's a verse I hadn't really noticed before:  "Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow, an undeserved curse does not come to rest."  (Proverbs 26:2)

All we have to do is live in such a way that ANY curse, insult, etc. directed our way would be undeserved!

                                                         Help us, Lord!
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No need to rent Lichtenstein...

Did you know that one can rent the whole of Lichtenstein?  Only $70,000 a night, and it sleeps 900.  Now, that's what's on the Internet, but I don't know for sure if it's true.

Thankfully, when our family is all together (as in November 2015, when we took this picture), we fit just right into Dan and KC's house in San  Antonio.  No need to rent a country!

For those who aren't familiar with us, here's who's-who:  Germán and I are sitting in the middle of the group.  Behind me are Debbie and Steve, and behind Germán are Dan and KC.  The grandkids, in front, are (left-to-right): Noe (10), Eli (5), Liliana (7), Miriam (5, almost 6) and Micah (8).
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Imagine what it will be like to gather together with family and friends...in Heaven!!  Jesus said, "In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you.  I am going there to prepare a place for you."  (John 14:2)

But we don't have to wait to die to live with Him.  "He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty...if you make the Most High your dwelling, even the Lord, who is my refuge..."  (Psalm 91:1,9)
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Do you ever wonder if God has "room service"?  Well, He offers something much, much better while we're waiting to go to His House:

"Because he loves Me," says the Lord, "I will rescue him, I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.  He will call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver and honor him."   (Psalm 91:14,15)
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We all have relatives who have gone to occupy their rooms in Heaven. No rent to pay, because all expenses were covered by Jesus on the Cross!

                                 My room is reserved.  How about yours?   
                                        Will I see YOU up there?

 

Earworm...nomophobia...lachanophobia...squishop...batology...know what they mean? You don't? (After reading this, you will!)

Can you define any of these without looking them up?  Don't worry if you don't know what these words mean.  I didn't!  Some give you no clue, some look like one thing but really mean another.  I'll save you a trip to the dictionary:


 ---earworm: a song or ditty that stays stuck in your mind  (also called a brainworm)
---nomophobia:  the fear of being out of cell phone contact
---lachanophobia:  the fear of vegetables!
---squishop:  a squire who is also a bishop
---batology:  the study of "brambles" - (which is the family to which  blackberries  belong)        (not bats!)
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I really enjoy finding out the meaning of weird words!  Some of them are unbelievable, and make me wonder why in the world we even needed such words!  We've gotten by without them just fine for centuries!
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Those words are optional...but there are Words that are essential to Life.  And it's of utmost importance that we know how to use Them. It doesn't come naturally, so we have to make a point of learning about Them.

"Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth."  (II Timothy 2:15)

Although our human minds can't grasp everything about Almighty God, His Words are readily available to us and He wants Them to be part of the very fiber of our spiritual being.  

"'The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart', that is the word of faith that we are proclaiming."  (Romans 10:8) 

"The entrance of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple."  (Psalm 119: 130)

"Your statutes...are my counselors."  (Psalm 119:24)

"...I find comfort in them."  (Psalm 119: 53)

"Give me understanding...for I trust your word."  (Psalm 119:34, 42)
 
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Human languages constantly evolve with time, some words becoming obsolete, or changing their original definition.  Words are added and words disappear.  God's words never vary, never become unnecessary, never lose vitality and power, never need anything added.  They are complete.

"Your word, O Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens."  (Psalm 119: 89)

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                                           Thank You, Father!

Re-defining students' babies as...CATS???

Talk about loopholes!  In the 1950's, babies of students could not enter Trinity Hall, Cambridge.  In order to make it possible for them to be allowed in, babies were re-defined as...cats!!

It sounds absurd, doesn't it?  Rather demeaning, too, it seems to me.  But how very human! We re-interpret, re-define, re-adjust rules, looking for a way to make it OK to do something, knowing it may not be quite in line with the "spirit of the law"...as long as we can make the "letter of the law" justify us.  Or the other way around: "it may be against the letter of the law, but it's in keeping with the spirit of the law." Sneaky. We're really good at that "loophole" stuff!!
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I like Jesus' answer to an expert in the law who asked him a question.  Jesus said, "What is written in the Law?  How do you read it?"  (Luke 10:26)  I can just  imagine Him emphasizing "you".

James warns us:  "When you judge the law, you are not keeping it."  (James 4:11)  Oh...oops!  There go the rationalizations like "nobody else obeys it" or "it's unfair" or "it's out-dated" or "does it really apply to me?"

It's true that we're not under the Law of the Old Testament, but we still must live within God's rules and requirements for His children.  "Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil;  live as servants of God."  (I Peter 2:16)

"...he who respects a command is rewarded."  (Proverbs 13:13)

We all know of "Christian" leaders who twist things around, sometimes terribly,  gaining a wider following and a wider wallet!  Some may just be mistaken and foolish, as it says in II Peter 3:16:  "...which ignorant people distort, as they do other Scriptures, to their own destruction."  Others do it on purpose.  They're masters of loopholes and re-definitions.  Speaking of false teachers:  "They secretly introduce destructive heresies...bringing swift destruction to themselves."  (II Peter 2:1)  I could name some names, but most of you know the kind of person I'm talking about.
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Let's just try to remember that God's way of doing things is so much better than our own, that it's rather foolish to try doing them any other way.   Psalm 19 tells us that God's law revives the soul, makes us wise, gives us joy, gives light to our eyes..."By them is your servant warned, in keeping them there is great reward."  (Psalm 19:11)

Father, give us the strength to resist accommodating your precepts to suit our own purposes!  After all, your purposes are aimed at our well-being, springing from your unlimited wisdom and love.  Nothing we might try to twist around for our benefit is really worth it in the long run.

"You are good, and what You do is good; teach me your decrees."  (Psalm 119: 68)

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