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Ephesians 2:1-10
"And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.
Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.
But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them."...
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In my father's house and his back yard
There are piles of junk and two rusted cars
They remind him of his younger days
He keeps his memories all over the place
He's a packrat of some great repute
A fact that no man could dispute
Mom just shakes her head and sighs
And keeps her kitchen clean
Ahh there's a place for everything
So why can't he ever find anything
Still it comforts him just knowing
That it's always there if he needs it
He's built sheds and barns to house his stuff
There are shelves and bins and hooks and dust
His little empire fills him up with pride
The neighbors cringe, he just smiles
Ahh there's a place for everything
So why can't he ever find anything
Still it comforts him just knowing
That it's always there if he needs it
Well I must admit I understand
These traits we share with this old man
Dad's got higher piles of junk than mine
But I'm sure I'll catch up in time
Ahh there's a place for everything
So why can't I ever find anything
Still it comforts me just knowing
That it's always there if I need it
He's got buckets full of rusted bolts and two drawers packed with old remotes from TVs that died long ago and ashes from an old wood stove.
His work bench is piled with wires and screws and things he's not sure what they do, he's got stacks of shingles, he's got a perfect roof and old electric motors too...
Ahh there's a place for everything...
--Lance Cowan/Sam Gray
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Hat tip to Tim and own his dad :o)
And so much love, happiness, and joy in my memories of my own father...
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Show No Partiality
"My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory."
James 2:1
A living faith is not only a listening faith but also a doing faith. True belief manifests itself in action--and, in some cases, in inaction. In other words, true faith is known not only by what it does but also by what it doesn't do--for example, as James points out, by not showing partiality.
Partiality--the sin of treating people differently due to their outward appearance, status, or usefulness--was a clear and present danger in James's day, and it remains so in our own. James was not condemning all acknowledgment of distinctions, or even preferential treatment for legitimate reasons. A young man who gives up his bus seat for an elderly woman is not running foul of James' teaching! Rather, what James was making absolutely clear is this: external characteristics, and especially those that indicate wealth, in and of themselves do not mean that someone deserves honor.
This is the point of the illustration in James 2: if two men enter our gathering, one in fine clothing and the other in shabby, and the wealthy man gets the place of honor while the poor man gets shoved aside, then we are guilty of the sin of partiality. To give such preferential treatment to the wealthy would be to make "distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts" (v.4). God does not judge us by such distinctions, and so neither should we judge others in this way.
In His life and ministry, Jesus displayed how impartiality ought to look. He was willing to allow a woman of ill repute to weep over Him and for her tears to wash His feet (Luke 7:36-50). And He was just as prepared to call a rich man down from a tree to take Him to his house (19:1-10). Why? Because He knew that great wealth and worldly honor do not and cannot make someone more valuable in God's eyes. He was well-acquainted with both the richest of riches and the lowest circumstances imaginable. In descending from heaven, exchanging honor for humility, Jesus set aside the glory which was His due in order to draw near to and save sinners like us--rich and poor alike.
When we grasp the wonder of this reality, we begin to see the true ugliness of judging others on the basis of the external and superficial.Partiality should have no place among the people of God because if we know God at all, it is because He dealt with us impartially. Be honest with yourself, then, and ask the Lord for the grace to see others in the way He does and to show others the mercy and grace He has shown you.
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Both of my Bible studies are teaching, studying anxiety and trusting the LORD through it all.
Thankful :o)
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Got to go....I have pill containers to fill....
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In1854 the Republican Party was formed in Wisconsin to fight against Slavery.
America still has brave people choosing to be good citizens.
The Brave are still out there.
Be Brave for America.
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from Understanding the Times:
..."History is the study of the way people, based on various religious worldviews, act through time to accomplish their goals.
The study of history is vital because by looking back on the past we can see how people’s decisions affected their fellow humans’ ability to flourish.
As George Santayana famously admonished,
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
We thus need an accurate view of the past if we are to sustain trends toward greater wealth, justice, and sustainability.
History can guide us to learn from our mistakes, act rightly in our current circumstances, and get better over time."...
-Jeff Myers & David A. Noebel, Understanding the Times: A Survey of Competing Worldviews, pg.472
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Isaiah 40:28-31
..."Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The Everlasting God, the Lord,
the Creator of the ends of the earth
does not become weary or tired.
His understanding is inscrutable.
He gives strength to the weary,
and to him who lacks might He increases power.
Though youths grow weary and tired,
and vigorous young men stumble badly,
yet those who wait for the Lord
will gain strength;
They will mount up with wings like eagles,
they will run and not get tired,
they will walk and not become weary."
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--Thank you, Josh Atkinson, Marietta, Ohio
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"They that can give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety."
-Benjamin Franklin (1759)
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