A turban and a cowboy hat play dominoes, then the hat goes on n a tear

 So many young, impressionable, "I CAN DO IT!" minds. Wasted. Very few vizened minds(do I jest) join the rapture of this promised reward. Why is that? Because they are vizened? Shouldn't they share the "let me live" yearning with those young impressionable minds, the ones that now they are not being 'entreated' to act out "God's Will"(sp), but rather, they are being forced by threat to their fathers, mothers, sisters, young brothers, children even and their own lives, to "let me wear your sheepskin"(hide me from the face of WRATH). To those who think there is only this "god's will"(sp) I say, "To me that 'will' reverberates the Satanic Siren of "not me but you, you would be good at it, wouldn't you?!"(Wink wink, nod nod, so go on you can do it.) 

I SAY, "NOT GODLY!"(REPENT!).

"There but FOR the WILL of GOD, go I". I say to you, "Show me your Jesus" and I will offer mine. PLEASE!.(Is that a pleading or a command? How were YOU raised?) Or, don't show me your Jesus, I will still say as best I can, God so loved the world he gave us his only Son, that if we believe we live(not die), which is to know Him Who is Love and thus by MERCY attested to by our offering of repentance gain forgiveness(REPENTANCE, an ancient military concept from the Latin--"to change direction in order to gain advantage over an enemy", no about face here, no retreat)

Here I must say that the only unforgivable sin, is of course, UNFORGIVENESS. So go on, yeah!, hold on to your oppressors(surely I scoff), do not force them into openness, allow them to survive in the wish that they drive your personal goat head(s) into the sea!(maybe only West Texans  know 'goat heads')

and eventually(some say sooner rather than later) we will ALL see Jesus, some will KNEEL and PRAISE, arrogant others in prideful disdain, right there in the same circumstance as the repentant, will crumple and p**e their guts, oh my what horribleness they have egged on themselves by their poor habit, insane thought, narrow mindedness and pedantic attempts at VENGEANCE.

They reap as they sew. There will be those, who by thoughtfully invoked habit and MERCY attain glory, respite, reward. (mostly by Mercy maybe, only by Mercy according to some), and those who enigmatically, by their poor habit, insane thought, narrow mindedness, fall into the snare of vengeance.   Vengeance is that meal that chills you to the bone, ("it is best served cold"),  thus ne'er the forgiven know. Be the forgiven. Leave the fat for GOD. For humans fat clogs the passages, it ever so slowly caresses then squeezes the heart, it wrings the very life from us granting the chill of DEATH. Think of vengeance as a cold slab of fat on your plate, will you eat it?

Bless us O God, Come quickly and be thou near.

God is LOVE, just ask Naaman ...or judge not lest ye be judged by the same measure...

Jhn 14:2 -

“In my Father’s house are many rooms; if not, I would have told you. I go there to prepare a place for you."

Jhn 4:7-11 -

Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.

The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love.

God’s love was revealed among us[fn] in this way: God sent his one and only Son into the world so that we might live through him.

Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice[fn] for our sins

Dear friends, if God loved us in this way, we also must love one another.

2Kings 5:1-19a

Naaman’s Disease Healed

1 Naaman, commander of the army for the king of Aram, was a man important to his master and highly regarded because through him, the LORD had given victory to Aram. The man was a valiant warrior, but he had a skin disease.

2 Aram had gone on raids and brought back from the land of Israel a young girl who served Naaman’s wife. 3 She said to her mistress, “If only my master were with the prophet who is in Samaria, he would cure him of his skin disease.”

4 So Naaman went and told his master what the girl from the land of Israel had said. 5 Therefore, the king of Aram said, “Go, and I will send a letter with you to the king of Israel.”

So he went and took with him 750 pounds[fn] of silver, 150 pounds[fn] of gold, and ten sets of clothing. 6 He brought the letter to the king of Israel, and it read:

When this letter comes to you, note that I have sent you my servant Naaman for you to cure him of his skin disease.

7 When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and asked, “Am I God, killing and giving life that this man expects me to cure a man of his skin disease? Recognize[fn] that he is only picking a fight with me.”

8 When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent a message to the king, “Why have you torn your clothes? Have him come to me, and he will know there is a prophet in Israel.” 9 So Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stood at the door of Elisha’s house.

10 Then Elisha sent him a messenger, who said, “Go wash seven times in the Jordan and your skin will be restored and you will be clean.”

11 But Naaman got angry and left, saying, “I was telling myself: He will surely come out, stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the skin disease. 12 Aren’t Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be clean? ” So he turned and left in a rage.

13 But his servants approached and said to him, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more should you do it when he only tells you, ‘Wash and be clean’? ” 14 So Naaman went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, according to the command of the man of God. Then his skin was restored and became like the skin of a small boy, and he was clean.

15 Then Naaman and his whole company went back to the man of God, stood before him, and declared, “I know there’s no God in the whole world except in Israel. Therefore, please accept a gift from your servant.”

16 But Elisha said, “As the LORD lives, in whose presence I stand, I will not accept it.” Naaman urged him to accept it, but he refused.

17 Naaman responded, “If not, please let your servant be given as much soil as a pair of mules can carry, for your servant will no longer offer a burnt offering or a sacrifice to any other god but the LORD. 18 However, in a particular matter may the LORD pardon your servant: When my master, the king of Aram, goes into the temple of Rimmon to bow in worship while he is leaning on my arm,[fn] and I have to bow in the temple of Rimmon ​— ​when I bow[fn] in the temple of Rimmon, may the LORD pardon your servant in this matter.”

19 So he said to him, “Go in peace.

God's Character by Name

El Hakkadosh Holy God

Rav-Chesed Abounding Love

Rachum Ve-Chanum Merciful and Gracious

Emet Elohim Emet True and Faithful

Higdil Tushiyyah Excellent in Wisdom

When Adam hears the Voice of God Walking, that Voice does not condemn him but rather asks him to think. "Where are you?", with the implied "Don't you know I know?", And "Who told you you were naked?"
which follows the implied "Weren't you already naked?". So God (notwithstanding the consequences of, is it pride, disobedience or faithlessnes) rather than acting vindictively responds to Adam's fear and new found guilt by clothing him. He stands by His Word and His Word is Holy, Loving, Merciful, Gracious, True, Faithful, and Excellent in Wisdom. God is perfect, uncommon, illustrious. His love is like a rock. He keeps from us the guilt and fear we deserve, and gives to us joy and and the hope of eteranl life, which we in no way deserve. He is more loyal than 'Old Blue', whose tail wags whenever we come close. Our abode with Him will never fall. Our understanding and rationale will never explain how He has known to do just the right thing, at just the right time, in just the right way, every step of our wandering path, for who but God could pen 'Let them go, when they desire to Love they will return.'

Emmanuel

Isaiah 7:14

Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Im--"with"

'am--"people"

el--"God"

ask for a sign...

ch 20 and en toto Getz Discipline

Here we are hit with some of the reality of living in a material world where it is difficult, if not impossible, to continually dwell in the confession of the Holy Spirit. This is a point which its statement often foresights a disagreement between conversationalists. But, I think we can all agree that, as God calls us, then we respond, some would say without reservation given the Mighty God who is, and others would say to our own frustration if we try to negate what the Spirit has led us to see. So, with that caveat in mind, I would say that when God calls, there is some movement on our part to either become more aligned with what God wills in our life, or, to try and hide ourselves from the truths we dare not entertain. Either direction involves discipline to succeed materially(while only one direction will succeed spiritually). If we are highly disciplined then we can cover a multitude of tactical errors, and with adaptive discipline even work to correct some early errors in strategy, but the thing I see here that Getz seems to ignore is that the correct discipline is not always logical, nor is it easily discerned, but springs eternal from God who gives to each according to his need. So that the important discipline is the one which incorporates the physical turning to God(time and place, Bible study, fellowship, worship, discipleship, ministry, mission, prayer underlining all), the Spiritual awareness of God's manifestation(silence and listening, observing and trusting) and the Spiritual confession of God's Omnipotence, Omnipresence, and Omniscience. After all this is said and done then we are left with the fact that Jesus himself discipled his disciples and yet they faltered numerous times in their discipleship leaving themselves with the necesstiy to return to the discipler.

Lastly, I would say it would have been nice if Getz had added a chapter telling us what he was going to tell us and/or one telling us what he had told us(the twenty items altogether), but then we do have the scripture references don't we?

ch 19 Getz Holiness as a gift

We begin to see what Getz has been driving at here in this chapter where all those incremental things should mathematically add up to what this and the last chapter address Holiness and Discipline. But Getz interjects, and appropriately so, that Holiness is not something we do, although what we do may indicate the degree to which we have accepted God's gift of Holiness, Holiness is something then that we accept, admit, confess, encourage; and only do we so encounter it from Jesus alone. While behaviour is to be circuscribed and attitudes are to be healthy and focus is toward the needs of others, the actuation of all these mores begins and is continued and culminates in the Word of God.

Ch 18 Just and upright

In this chapter by Getz, we are reminded that we really are inferior in our love and effort to love so that our justness, our righteousness must come from God--it is God who justifies us through the death of His Son. And by the ressurrection of His Son we are given the Spirit of God to comfort us and guide us and empower us into a just behaviour. So by Jesus life and death are we forgiven and by his ressurrection and Spirit are we quickened. If we accept Him as our Justness then we will behave in an upright and just manner. This is made possible by the presence of the Holy Spirit in a perceptive and willing soul. This Spirit then guides us into the work and sacrifice that God would have us to do and when we realize we really are not able of ourselves to do it, then His power will be made manifest in His willing and faithful servant to finish just what He wants done. So being just and upright involves being in touch with God, communicative and still, just enough, to be mobile, yet sensitive to that which has no flesh nor bone, and yet can be so overwhelming as to move mountains into the sea. When we can rely on God in this manner then we can open ourselves up to those who are in need and lend God's wisdom to their plight and allow God to manifest through kind word and gentle encouragement. This will offer light and life to that which has hidden in darkness and decay, and is wreaking havoc upon its bearer, allowing them to enter into the truly satisfying fellowship which only God can and does offer. So as we become just and upright so others are brought to justness and uprightness.

Ch 17 Loving God Wholeheartedly(loving what is good)

Getz does a good job of setting this table with the example of a 500 ton 747 climbing into the air--Gravity/aerodynamics. Adam and Eve set a 500 ton stone on the opening to our tomb while Jesus removed the stone and placed wings on our shoulders. Adam and Eve gave us sin and death while Jesus gave us forgiveness and life. If we love the aspects of our worldly existance more than the fellowship of God and the benefits of His character, then we refuse life and light and step into dark and death. Getz sets a good descriptive contrast of loving pleasure and self and money and hating good with loving God and loving people and doing God's will. Getz involves other letters by Paul here to underline and define and to clarify what the law of sin and death means and how God has given to us the Word of light and life. He gives us as the key to balance the love of God.

Why Fatherhood is not dpendent upon correct spellingness...

This is the only spot I have found a misspelled word, I think. The word is atheisy as refers to Freud on pg 186 of chapter 16. This being the most egregious error of Getz entire book, gives me the opportunity to comment upon his unit on fatherhood. I like that he says an elder doesn't have to be married or have children to be an elder, he just needs to act as if he might be or might one day be. This tends to fall into the harmony of fidelity. When you consider fidelity and its commencement, I feel it is possible to hear that perhaps it began during the tune-up, or in the dressing room or at home in the tub, or maybe at that point in time when music was created as a concept. Does fidelity have a beginning or an end?
Maybe the question should be, "Does Fidelity have a beginning or an end?"
So a father must be good and loving and honorable toward his wife, the mother of his children and concerning his children equitable which involves individual and personal and self sacrificing.
If God is our primary example of a father when we see His Fatherhood toward us, then our fatherhood involves many foster and adopted children as well as our blood descendants if any.

Since our position as father is a result of world inhabitance then we can accept that our performance as fathers is sometimes flawed and even if not, probably in need of some sort of ameliorative example to our children as to the (mis?)manifestation of our love and intent toward them. Sometimes we must swallow the poison pill of pride, that they might grow into that more fully capable emulation of ourselves(that they have in mind), partly as an extension of ourselves but mostly as independant actors in a play begun in part by us but largely just handed down by us and many other contributors as they may have the circumstance and destiny to encounter. Our role then is to exemplify Godliness to them and receive them back home as we find their need.

Going from the fairly specific to the very general and not moving a stitch

So the other night we were discussing 1 John 4. In approaching this passage we began by attempting to turn 'is' into the mathematical sign =. And therefore the /=(not equal sign) then is 'is not', except that sometimes it seems that 'not equal' and 'not(~)' are not the same. But to advance through the exercise and a bit further perhaps then, a list of symbols for substitution and some are added now as I have had time to consider and reconsider this exercise somewhat:

'is' becomes '='

'is not' becomes '/='

'confesses' 'sent' becomes '*' (added by me)

'confesses not' becomes '/' (added by me)

'born' 'hear' 'acknowledge' 'love' becomes '+' (added by me)

'death or not hear or acknowledge or love' becomes '-' (added by me)

'not' becomes '~'

so if you are already confused, just wait...

7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

this then becomes by the substitutions(subjective) aforementioned

7 Beloved, let us + one another, for + = God; and everyone who + = * God and + God. 8 He who does not + does not * God, for God = +. 9 In this the + of God was * toward us, that God * His only begotten Son into the world, that we might = through Him. 10 In this = +, not that we + God, but that He + us and * His Son to be the propitiation for our ~+. 11 =+, if God so + us, we also ought to + one another.

but actually it might even be simpler and more straightforward. Although it is hard to individually symbolize in mathematics separate but similar functions. But if you can accept, what was at first hard for me anyway, that God being a name of someone personal to us can be a concept, Love, which encompasses all that He = then we might = God's +!

So

God = Love

Love = His only begotten Son

His only begotten Son = propitiation

propitiation = forgiveness

forgiveness = Life

Life = God

but then how does this jibe?

14Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people which are round about you;

15(For the LORD thy God is a jealous God among you) lest the anger of the LORD thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth.

along with

4Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

So this leads to a conundrum of

God = Love

God = jealous

but

Love = ~jealous

so what then?

Pauper/Prince Generous

I was at first resentful of Getz' description of the accumulation of wealth as a character of God. But now I see he is probably taking the route of least resistance in approaching the giving habits of the smaller group of people rather than the larger group by income stratification.

When a man who makes 1,000,000 dollars gives 10% he has given a great deal of money and yet there is still, at his disposal, for taxes and necessities and pleasures 900,000 dollars. When a man with an income of 25,000 dollars gives 10% he only has then 22,500 dollars on which to live.

Getz takes on the wealthier man, stating that many people, with examples from the Bible, when encountering an increase in wealth forget to thank God in the appropriate manner, with tithes and sacrifice. So we might easily assume that often the burden of the church is carried out by people of lesser means who are faithful in their giving.

So where I began resentful I end up thankful that he is obviously writing to somene else-not me.

Hospitable and Generous?

Now what sort of duplicity is this? If one is hospitable have they not been generous already? Or is ti that hospitality is actually directed at strangers and generosity is applied to all who are found to be in need?

Generosity from God by Getz ch 15

Be sure to tip well whether you can afford it or not or you really should not go out to eat. This will attest to your understanding of the plight of other people's poverty if not your own. more later...

From El Shadday...Peacemaking 101 ch 14 Getz

A funny thing happened...chapter 14/Getz
I am a turtle. I hide my fears in a vest pocket. I try to enjoy this as security. With security there is peace. But when the shell-cracker arrives, the pick pocket makes a tangential passing, peace is lost and security exposed as false. Thus it becomes known that even in seclusion there is not security, rather vulnerability. Now to what am I vulnerable? If I am vulnerable to God, then Love enfills and His power enables and rather than reactions of angst and fear, senses of security and peace abound. An abounding peace must by application be intentially inclusive, and if inclusive by mutual acceptance, then is there security.

Surely by these scriptures is this concept underwritten:

KJV Romans 12:16
16. Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.

KJV Romans 12:18
18. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.

KJV Romans 14:19
19. Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.

KJV Romans 15:5-6
5. Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus:
6. That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

KJV Ephesians 4:1-3
1. I Therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,
2. With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
3. Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

...and in this corner, weighing in at nealry 300 pounds, with a record of no wins of his own to spreak of,3 draws, and 100's of losses mostly by knockout, including one of the draws, called by most "Christmas", meaning "Slower than Christmas"...

soon as my hands quit hurtin,

my nose quits bleedin,

my head quits throbbin,

my face quits achin,

my tears dry up,

my heart quits quiverin,

Ima gonna grease your noggin to the floor!

Bub.

Well! I Never!

It makes me so angry when somebody thinks they have the right to tell me I should not get angry...who do they think they are. Then this guy Getz tells me it is ok to get angry but only if I am driving crooks, deceivers, and sellers of morality out of the church building. Or, at least, he says I should not be insulting, overbearing and threatening to others when I explain to them how and when they seem to be doing things which I am wondering why they are doing them without at least consulting me first.
I like the reference to James 1: 19-20

This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger, for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.

Overcoming Self -Centeredness means becoming better centered

Some of these last sections I have already touched upon earlier, but I suppose it will not hurt (me) too much if I fly by them again. I have known people who were strong willed, always going about their business without a distraction. But if someone were to bring up a legitimate complaint about their focused behaviour in accomplishing what they were, many times these strong willed(accidently selfish) people will be taken aback enough to pause and consider their endeavour, and perhaps even to amend it so that others are not offended or slighted so much by what is happening about them. On the other hand some folks are just insecure enough to, if not ignore the complaint, direct blame for the complaint in some other direction than perhaps where it legitimately belongs with 'yours truly'. These type people are not strong willed but rather selfish by intent.
It seems unfair that strong willed people who were over-indulged(spoiled?) as youngsters now have the inside track on regaining their composure and correcting their ways while the one who was overly restricted must find some outside help to deal with the neuroses and deepseated foibles they have developed and glom onto no matter the obvious consequence. This chapter has ignited in myself some very trying prayers and introspection that can often lead me into deep research whereby, after sloshing through a cloud of confusion, I find that the best thing for me to do is hold fast to the faith which I have been given and let God work on the meanness and selfishness I have uncovered in myself. I start to ready a list of names that take on something of the characteristic of Earl's list of Thursday night TV fame. I begin to remember people I need to at least apologize to if not correct past misdeeds or slights I have thrown their way(or in their way).

mea culpa

My study of prayer through Baylor U's 'Christain Reflection' has converged
with my study of Getz'z 'The Measure of a Man' to uncover a flaw in my skin, surely not my heart. To wit: I find it easy to hide in the multitude of scriptures and avoid religion (personal application of the
living Word)...maybe scripture, rather than religion, is a word we need to revise its usage.

see what I mean?

so duplicity and contrivance become machinations of otherwise good and true habit and occupation lending themselves rather to self empowerment and self protection which stems, of course, from selfishness.

Lord I believe! help thou my unbelief! Mark 9:24b

de-Centering Self part two

So how in creation does smacking with an oversized mallet a frog leaping at you through a hole in a table top help you become less self conscious and more Christ like? Unless the frogs are icons of the mean and stupid little things you occupy yourself with in order to shirk love, joy, peace, longsuffering, goodness, gentleness, faith, meekness, and self control then it probably serves the opposite. In other words if you no longer, or perhaps never, considered and enacted the responsibility of honor toward your neighbor before yourself then these frogs: hate, anger, violence, impatience, vileness, rowdiness, doubt, pride, and greed, at least nine frogs in all, need to be swatted regularly and as often as they appear.