My 5 Favorite "Books" of the Bible ;-)

I was thinking the other day, "what are some things I have heard good christian people say that may or may not come from the Bible." You know the statements I'm talking about. You may be in a fairly heavy conversation and they might give a one-liner piece of advice that sounds pretty good at first. Something like, "God helps those who help themselves first" as justification for people taking action on a thought or decision. It sounds good, but what book of the Bible is that from?

Here are some of those quotes so you can mark them in your Bible and have them ready the next time someone asks for advice or help in an especially tough time. 


The Book of Assumptions 

• "God helps those who help themselves."
• "God will never give you more than you can bear."
• "This too shall pass."
• "This is my cross to bear." (In reference to trying to quit caffeine or dealing with stupid people.)
• WWJD?

Book of Annihilations 

• "That which doesn't kill you makes you stronger."
• "What goes around comes around."
• "Our insurance won't allow it."
• "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."
• "God just needed an extra special angel, so he took . . . "

1st Opinions

• "Pride goes before the fall." (This is definitely true, especially if you have ever watched a YouTube "fails" compilation
• "The Order of Service is as follows . . . "
• Thou shalt sing the "Doxology" upon the return of the offering plates.
• When communion in not on the Lord's Table, a giant King James Bible opened to the 23rd Psalm should be placed there.

2nd Opinions

• ". . . all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."
• Y.O.L.O.!!
• Robert's Rules of Order
• There is an Aaamarcan and Christian flag on the stage.

Letter to the Hypocritians 

• "To thine own self be true."
• "Do unto others as to get the most you can."
• "I love Jesus, but I do drink a little bit."
• "The ends justify the means."

Scroll of the Socialonians 

• "Love the sinner, hate the sin."
• "Treat others the way they want to be treated."
• "Jesus was for social justice and equality."
•  "No one can make you feel inferior without your permission.”

I know I don't have all of the writings of the "Good Book" here, because there seems to be a few translations that may not have them all. Maybe you know a few other ones from some of these books. Or maybe you know the other books. 

Let me also say, not all of these are bad quotes, or even unbiblical in idea. Just having fun. Some of the quotes above are from Fredreick Neitzche, Eleanor Roosevelt, William Shakespeare, Aesop, and many others throughout history, including Bubba down the holler. 

On a series note. 

We do have to be careful of making somethings "scripture" when it is not scripture. Jesus said he is the "TRUTH" and life. That out of him only comes truth. His Word can be trusted because it came from God the Father. We also have to remember that the Holy Bible is inerrant as given by God. The Bible is not Opinion for us to decide to agree with or not. It isn't an assumption because it's the best we can come up with based on what we know. The Bible isn't about how to get the most out of this life and others. It isn't even about how to live with people, although a lot of it has to do with social interaction. 

The Bible is really about God. Who he is. How he works. What he thinks and says. The ways he loves us and wants to interact with us. Yes, the Bible says a lot about interacting with our fellow man, but ALWAYS in the context of either how God is acting toward us or how we are to act toward God. I try to love my neighbor because God loves my neighbor and me. I try to sacrificially love my wife because God sacrificially loves her and me. I try to train up my children in the way they should go because God is trying to train me up in the way I should go. 

At the very CORE of the Bible is God interacting with man. At the very heart of that Core is Jesus. Holding out the truth. Gently encouraging us to come to him and find peace. That he is the way to eternal life. He is the light we see everything by. Jesus is the Shepherd who leads us to what is needed. Christ is the resurrection and life, the first to raise from the dead, proving he has the power to raise us from the dead. 

Let's enjoy this crazy life in the light of Jesus. Then he will shed light on what is really sin and the redemption that follows. He will teach us the path of righteousness instead of the road to destruction. He will judge us from the throne of grace and not the toilet of public opinion. 

As believers, lets make sure we speak the TRUTH with GRACE, just as Jesus did.

Still being shaped by His grace, 
Mitch


(For those of you still looking through the Table of Contents for these books, they are right after "Abominations" and before "Democratians" and "Letter of the Republicians") 

The Coffee Psalm

I love when I find new ways of expressing ourselves to God. In looking for a way to teach my kids Thanksgiving and worship I came across this psalm.

There could be the thought, that this psalm is making trite (overused and consequently of little import; lacking originality or freshness) the worship of God. In fact this psalm is doing the opposite. It is relating to God in a new way. Expressing to God our inner thoughts based on what we know, have, and enjoy.

So enjoy this little cup of praise.

Crowing rooster and laying eggs

The Rooster crowed.

We bought 8 chicks from a farm store this spring. This was a well talked about and planned out decision. We wanted fresh chickens and fresh eggs and fresh fertilizer and someone to till the garden. Well, chickens are perfect for all of that. They live in a mobile chicken coop called a tractor. We move them each day. Have plenty of water for them. Give them garden and kitchen scraps (not dinning room table scraps). They are funny to watch and we no longer use the derogatory term "Chicken" to describe fear. Them things are mean.

Well, we bought mixed chicks so it was a gamble as to how many hens we would get. All eight lived and 5 are roosters.

That Rooster crowed again.

So now that one of them is screaming all the time, it is time for Smokey, Colonel, Crispy and BBQ to take a trip to the freezer. We'll keep the smallest rooster, he'll eat less and let him take care of the edges of the yard around the garage and house in his own little rooster RV, we might name him "Frankie".

The kids love these things and it is their responsibility to take care of them.

Our chickens laid their first eggs. You would have thought we won the lottery, the way it was passed around said be careful a dozen times.

The strangest things have happened. Every since that rooster started crowing, our hens started laying, and I get hungrier. Now it might be that they are all the same age and it would have happened anyhow. It could be that the hens needed to hear that raspy Frank Sinatra style crooning to get their little female bodies into action. I don't know.

But it does make me think.

Jesus told one of his disciples, Peter, that he would deny he knew Jesus. All of this is in Luke 22:31-34. He told Peter Satan asked for him specifically. So was this a conversation Jesus and Satan had over Peter, like God and Satan had over Job? What was said there, "You already have Judas, we both know that, you cannot have the rest. . . . You can try, but you can't touch them." Then Jesus, don't forget now, he is God, gives this statement that shows the power of free will for us humans. "I have prayed that your faith will not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.

Jesus knew Peter would deny him. There were no "if's" in Jesus statement. It was a fact. And we go on to read that Peter did in fact deny he knew Jesus. He even sworn and cursed to prove how emphatically he didn't know him.

Did you catch what else Jesus said. This denial did NOT do away with Peter's faith. Peter still had faith. Peter still believed in Jesus being the Messiah. Peter still believed the teaching of Jesus. Peter still loved and followed Jesus. Peter was still as bull-headed in his approach to evangelism. Peter still continued on with the disciples. Peter still spent time praying with the other believers. Yeah, he messed up. BUT his faith didn't fail. In fact this became the "Twist" in Peter's action story.

Peter realized he blew it when he heard the rooster crow that morning. I used to think of the rooster crowing as sign of a bad thing, but that may not be true. It is true that it signaled Peter of his sin, making him aware and responsive. He left the area. He got away from the place of his sin. He repented. Jesus told him he would. Jesus didn't make him, but he knew it would happen. Jesus restored him as a leader of the disciples. Peter was reminded  that Jesus was was the rock the church was built on, not Peter.

When we hear something that brings our sin to mind we should be like Peter, turn back.  It doesn't mean our faith has failed, it means our faith has won. It doesn't mean we hide from our brothers and sisters , but we can encourage others.

As I ate my first home raised chicken egg sandwich this morning, I thought about some of the struggles I have with sin. I don't always need a rooster to point it out to me. When I do, in faith in God's forgiveness, I repent right then. I hope you will too. Good things come when the rooster crows.

That rooster crowed again. Time to make room in the freezer..

9 facts that prove Jesus loves Coffee!

Jesus loves Coffee!

I don't know how we have missed this for all these years, but this may change your life forever!

Coffee is a holy drink. 

• God made all seed baring plants and called them good. Coffee is a good seed plant. (Genesis 1:11)

• When God asked people to approach him he reminded them they were on “Holy ground” (Exodus 3:5)

• The promised land is referred to as a place flowing with cream and sweetener. (Exodus 3:8)

• God uses the illustration of being refined by fire to remove impurities, or maybe he prefers dark roasted. (Zechariah 13:9)

• God was always talking about things being a pleasing aroma to him, and we all know there is no greater and more pleasing aroma than fresh ground coffee. (Genesis 8:22)

• Jesus said that he is source of living water, coffee is best made with cold fresh water. (John 4:10)

• He also says that we must go through the water, so obviously God prefers a "french press" method of making coffee, as opposed to a "drip" method. (Acts 8:38)

• In the prophetic book of the Revelation we learn that Jesus likes his coffee hot or iced, because when it’s luke warm he wants to spit it out of his mouth. (Revelations 3:16)

• He called his chosen people the “HE-brews”. (Genesis 14:13, and the Book so named)

But I must put a warning. When Jesus goes to fill your cup, set it down on the table. He has been know to make our cup over-floweth (Psalm 23:5).

Just a bit of fun today. 
Enjoy your morning brew.
-Mitch, lump of clay

To good to be ... God?

You know the saying. We're taught it at a young age. It's the battle cry of every good pessimist and now most of America. "That's too good to be true!" bit we have good reason, right? We have info-mercials running 24-7 promising to be the greatest thing in our life, help our marriages, make our kids smile and work, and generally fulfill our pursuit for happiness.

Politicians, G.E., LG electronics, and ketchup all promise a "to good to be true" effect on our life. Even my soap promises a "High lather shower experience that will leave you feeling clean, refreshed and invigorated with a woodsy scent. Rinse well."Why would I want to rinse something that powerful off?

I don't think I'm a pessimist. I would consider myself a cautious optimist. I always heard the saying, "if it's too good to be true, then it probably is." Up until recently I had never give that phrase much thought. I recently had something offered to me which caused me a lot of concern. And I said to myself, 'it's too good to be true'. While I was praying though God reminded me that he is TRUTH (John 1:14, 14:6)) in fact standing before Pilate Jesus said the whole reason he came was to testify to the truth.

While reading in the book of Matthew Jesus is talking about only God being good (Matthew 19:17). We also see that every good and perfect gift comes from God (James 1:17). Peter said that those who are followers of Jesus have tasted and know that God is good (1 Peter 2:3).

So with all of that being said I had to ask myself, "Is this offer too good to be God?" Oh wait what about the "good" part of that phrase? So then I asked "Is this too God to be God?" It's kind of a redundant question, I know. It is a good question. So I have to ask myself a bigger question. "Do I really believe God would set everything up my benefit, the other's benefit all for his glory and furtherance of His kingdom?" So is God active in our everyday lives?

When things seem to be "falling into place" or "just happens to. . ." or "this is too good to be true". Maybe it is God intervening in our life, and  "To God to be God" is just how He would do it.