Anchored?

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. II Timothy 3:16-17

Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. II Peter 1:20-21

Following up on the end of last week's posts and comments....it might be helpful to share a few thoughts this week regarding the nature of the Bible and the study thereof.

As Christians we believe that Jesus is both God and man. Jesus is God incarnate.... or "God, in flesh." This is his nature. Taking one position over the other would not fully represent who Jesus is and could lead to doctrinal error. Similarly, the source or origin of the bible is both divinely inspired and humanly authored. I love what Earle (How we got our bible, p.17) writes:

God could have sent down the Book all inscribed with the complete revelation, bound in black leather, divinity circuit, gold-edged, silk-sewn, India paper- even dedicated to King James! But he did not choose to do so. Instead the light of divine revelation broke in on the soul of Moses, of David, of Paul, of John, and many others. The result is a divinely inspired, humanly written Revelation of God's truth for man. They wrote on sheepskin and goatskin, on papyrus and parchment. They wrote the thoughts of God as best they could understand them by the help of the Holy Spirit.

This is what makes the scripture so useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training us how to be rightly related to God. If you struggle with this concept, you will be a person blown here and there by every wind of doctrine and teaching. Be sure you're anchored!

The Hermeneutical Bridge.....

Mr. Anonymous has made another comment....and I feel like replying. If you go back a few days you will find the following comment to my post:

An exciting and pertinent text to be sure, but still, just a text- a starting point. And we're right back to the question of what does the text mean? If texts were self-explanatory, then we would have a single world wide church all pulling in the same direction. So we've got to work on the meanings - learn the context, understand how the hearers may have heard them, read what scholars have said over the ages, figure out their place in God's great narrative about how He's going to put the world to rights, and pray over them. The more of us who try to do this in the Spirit (collectively, I'm thinking, not just individually), the more we'll discover what "authentic" Christian life is about. -Anonymous

Scripture is more than just a "starting point"....however, if you want to talk biblical hermeneutics, pull up a chair. For any who may not know what hermeneutics is...it is the process one uses for interpreting the bible. How do we get from the "then and there" (the ancient context) to the "here and now" (modern day). It is the process that one uses to understand an ancient text and how to bring it's intended meaning to modern day. I think of biblical hermeneutics as being a bridge....and on this bridge are tools or methods that help us get from one side to the other.

In any case, I firmly believe that a text can never mean what it never meant and that too many readers of God's word jump far too quickly to application without proper study or even a hint at proper interpretation. Mr. Anonymous is right to ask, "what does the text mean"....we must seek to understand the author's intended meaning. When attempting this, it is so helpful to understand the historical, cultural, and literary context.

Let me give you an example of understanding the literary context. When we pick up a newspaper, there are many different "genres" and with each genre we bring a different set of interpretive tools when reading. In other words, we don't read the obituaries like we read the comics...we read the classified ads differently than we do feature stories. In this example, we don't even think about our intrepretive skills, but nevertheless, they are at work. Similarly, with the bible, there are many different types of literature; for example: narratives, poetry, historical, apocalyptic, prophetic, etc. Now, just because we may not know what Hebrew parallelism is, does not mean that we will never understand the Psalms. But, when we understand that the Psalms are written upon the principles of Hebrew parallelism, it opens up a whole new world of meaning. What's Hebrew parallelism? In simplest terms, it is a style of poetry which is made up of two parallel lines. Sometimes the second line says the very same thing as the first line....but, uses different words. At other times, the second line is in direct contrast to the first. And still other times, the second line provides additional meaning to the first line. Take a quick look at the book of Psalms. Open up to any chapter and simply read one verse. I can almost guarantee that there will be two parallel lines. Just ask yourself, how does the second line interact with the first line? You will find this simple literary tool very helpful whenever you read the Psalms.

Now, if I may be so bold, while I am so grateful for Mr. Anonymous's encouragement toward bible study, I am afraid that Mr. A will never be fully confident to stake a claim of understanding the text....let alone derive certain principles and then seek to apply it to his life. But, I am probably wrong about that.

Obviously, there is so much more to biblical hermeneutics....for another day.

P.S. Please correct me if you are female...I will refer to you in future posts as Ms. Anonymous

Ambassadors of Reconciliation.....

We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. II Corinthians 5:20a

Mr. Anonymous in a thoughtful comment to a post a couple of days ago was reflecting upon what it means to be a "witness" for Christ. In II Corinthians 5 Paul helps to fill in the blanks when he discusses the ministry of reconciliation. Paul makes it clear that since we (the redeemed) have been reconciled to God through Christ....God now has given us this ministry of reconciliation. As Christ's ambassador, God makes his appeal through us. So much for our comfortable position of Christianity being solely a "private" decision. We cannot divorce our responsibility to a lost and dying world behind our overly privatized conception of the faith. "As God's fellow workers we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain" (II Corinthians 6:1a). Did you hear it?..... as "God's fellow workers"..... Oh dear.

Corn.....

A man reaps what he sows. Galatians 6:7b

Secondhand Lions is one of the best movies of all time....if you have seen it you will remember the scene where the young boy's uncles decide that they now want to be farmers. So, they buy all different kinds of seeds, till the ground, and plant the seeds. I'll skip ahead in the story....well, the travelling salesperson who sold them the great variety of seeds actually only sold them corn seeds in a great variety of packages. These packages were falsely labeled with tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, etc. But, in the end, it was only corn that grew.

This story and the verse above applies to all of our lives. It is a universal truth worthy of great reflection. A person reaps what he sows, no matter what the package says on the outside, you only get corn from corn seed. Something to think about....

Witnesses..... (continued from yesterday)

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Acts 1:8

Yesterday's post makes no sense without the context of the verse above. The word makes it clear that Jesus appeared to his disciples after the resurrection over a period of forty days (Acts 1:3). On one such occasion he informed them of his future plans for them involving the Holy Spirit. He told them that they were going to receive the Holy Spirit and that they were going to be his witnesses throughout their city, the region and the into the whole world. In essence he was saying that the church was going to be as one theologian writes, "the continuation of the Lord's presence and minitry in the world" (Erickson, 1992). What a powerful statement. If you read what I just wrote sort of quickly, you may be suffering right now from a syndrome called, "IhearditbutIdon'tseewhatthebigdealis." The big deal is, God's spirit invades the redeemed so that they continue the Lord's presence and ministry into the world. This sounds so spiritually ho-hum....we have heard it all our lives....but, do we really get it? Lord, so I guess you are counting on me to be a witness for you. It doesn't appear this is optional. Thank you for giving me the Holy Spirit so that I can be a powerful witness for you. Provide clarity to the ministry you are desiring to accomplish through me. Bring my life into alignment with your will.

Bewildered, Amazed, & Perplexed.....

All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in others tongues as the Spirit enabled them. [....] When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment... [....] Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another.... Acts 2:4,6,12

The "birth" of the Church is recorded in Act 2 with the disciples hearing the sound of a violent wind and tongues of fire coming to rest upon each one of them. They begin to speak in other languages and Jewish folks all around the world who are visiting in Jerusalem hear them declaring the wonders of God in their own language. The foreigners were bewildered, amazed and perplexed and were struggling to understand what all of this meant. So, Peter stands up, addresses the crowd, assuring the visitors that those speaking in tongues are not drunk. Then he quotes Joel 2 and intimates that these things are normal for the "last days." Next, Peter reminds the "men of Israel" that they were the ones who nailed God's son Jesus to the cross, but, good news, God raised him from the dead. He then preaches his heart out and concludes with exhorting them to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus....and about 3,000 folks accepted Christ on that day.

Come on!....what a strangely bewildering, amazing and perplexing plot....seriously. As such, one thing is for sure- the church is now characterized by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. In other words, the church is not primarily some sociological phenomenon of human creation; it is indwelt by the Holy Spirit, divinely created to carry out a very particular mission. Wonder what we should do with this truth? I have a few ideas.....(to be continued).

Ever lost something?

Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them.... Luke 15:4 [....] Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Luke 15:8a

Have you ever lost something? For some reason, to me, this is one of the most annoying things. Even small, rather insignificant items, when found, can be a huge source of joy. Interestingly, Jesus is very concerned about lost things. Leading up to the parable of the lost son, there were two other "lost" stories that Jesus shared. The first lost thing in Luke 15 is a lost sheep....in fact it was merely part of a band of 100 sheep....but, it was lost. Right after this story, Jesus tells us about a woman who lost one of her silver coins. She had ten, but she lost one. The point of the lost things is not that they were lost, but rather, that they were found. And, even more importantly, rejoicing was paramount. If you look closely at these three parables in Luke 15, the kingdom norm is that there is rejoicing when one sinner repents....not only on earth but in heaven. Over the next few days, ask the Lord if you can experience the joy of rejoicing with someone who was lost....but now is found.

The prodigal father.....part 2

So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. Luke 15:20

If you read yesterday's post and just read the verse above, you should be thinking right about now, "WOW, that is amazingly unbelievable!" Let's think about this. Imagine your son takes half of your current estate and leaves home....spends it all frivously....and then decides to come back home. What's your response? The father in the parable saw his son when "he was still a long way off." It would have been completely understandable if the father chose to sit in his home and simply wait for his son to FULLY return....but to run toward him, with compassion in his heart, to throw his arms around his son and to kiss him? That's beyond comprehension. Now, let's transfer our thinking to the spiritual truth that this parable is relaying. What do you see? What does this say about our Father in heaven? Well, take the worse sin that you have ever committed and decide in your heart that you are going to bring the confession of that sin right into the presence of God. You may be expecting the Heavenly Father to cast an unapproving eye....maybe even remind us how truly sinful we are. But instead, he chooses to run toward us with a heart full of compassion and totally embrace us with His unconditional love. This really makes no sense, but this is a tremendous picture of God. Lord, guide me toward fully embracing your tremendous unconditional love....then, help me to express it toward others.

The parable of the prodigal father.....

Father, give me my share of the estate. Luke 15:12

Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Luke 15:21

We all know the parable of the "prodigal son." It's a great story of a son who squandered his father's wealth....became broke.....and decided to return home to his father. The two verses above reveal a sharp contrast in spirit. Verse 12 is the demand placed upon the father. Let me have all that is rightly mine, now! In contrast, verse 21 reveals the confession of a contrite spirit who acknowledges that he really messed up. We all know folks that are experiencing a "prodigal" stage in life. Or, we know someone, maybe even ourselves, that were "prodigal".....but, came to our senses, and returned back to what we know is good and right. We all can relate in some way.

HOWEVER (and this is unusual for me to write in all caps....this means I am really emphasizing what I am about to say), we miss the whole point of the story. Most folks (obviously none that read this blog....but, you know, other people) probably think that "prodigal" means something like this: a person who was given a lot and who wasted it. Nope, that's not the definition of the word "prodigal." The word means "wastefully extravagant" or "giving lavishly or profusely." This is true.....look it up.

So, who is the character in this story that was wastefully extravagant and gave lavishly and profusely? Hint: It was the father. And since a parable is a kingdom story told in an earthly way.....this parable is relaying a powerful truth about our Heavenly Father. Go back and read the story from beginning to end with this in mind.....Luke 15:11-32. Is this the type of Heavenly Father that you know?

The Lord hates?

There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers. Proverbs 6:16-19

My youngest daughter asked me the other day, "Daddy, the bible says that we are to love our enemies, does this mean we are to love Satan?" ....She just turned six years old. I think she might be the real theologian in the family. Anyhow, after a robust theological discussion with my six year old, I got thinking about other challenging questions from the bible.....like, if God is love, can the LORD hate? Well, the answer to that question is easy. According to the verse above, absolutely. I'm guessing that when the Bible refers to the LORD as hating something, it must be pretty bad. If the LORD hates haughty eyes, then I need to make sure that my demeanor is imbued with humility. If the LORD hates a lying tongue, only truth had better come out of my mouth. If the LORD hates hands that shed innocent blood, I must protect the innocent. If the LORD hates a heart that devises wicked schemes, I better check that my plans are wholesome and true. If the LORD hates feet that quickly rush into evil, I had better slow down and make sure the path I'm on is a godly one. If the LORD hates a false witness who pours out lies, I must only speak truth. If the LORD hates a person who stirs up dissension among brothers, I am called to stir up unity among the redeemed. But, don't just take my word.....take a closer look at Proverbs 6:16-19....Again, if the LORD hates these things, I think it warrants our closest attention. Agree?

Life or death.....

The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit. Proverbs 18:21

The book of Proverbs is awesome. With a perusal through Proverbs it doesn't take long to realize just how powerful the tongue really is. It pronouces one as wise if, in a timely manner, it is held (10:19). It can also nourish many (10:21). It can destroy a neighbor or allow the righteous to escape (11:9). It can guard the soul or cause one to come to ruin (13:3). It has the ability to pierce like a sword or bring healing (12:18). It can be a fountain of life or a place where violence overwhelms (10:11). It can carry and deliver wisdom or invite ruin (10:13,14). It can carry honest testimony or can be full of lies (12:17). It can bring the rod or bring protection (14:3). It can be a tree of life or can crush the spirit (15:4). It can commend knowledge or gush with folly (15:2). It can turn away wrath or stir up anger (15:1). It can even separate close friends (16:28). It can bring strife, beatings, and can be a snare to the soul (18:6,7). It truly has the power of life and death (18:21). So, what will it be this week? Lord, show me this week who needs nourishing, healing, wisdom, honest testimony, protection, knowledge, and life.....then, use me.

A wife of noble character.....

A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life. Proverbs 31:10-12

Saturday, May 13, 1989 was the beginning of a new journey- that was the day God blessed me with the most beautiful life partner- a real woman of grace. Her name is Dawn. We have now been married for 21 years. With each passing day, I have fallen more and more in love with her. I have no idea why God chose me to be her partner and best friend....but I know that I am blessed beyond measure and for that am I forever grateful. From time to time I still officiate weddings and one of my favorite things to tell new couples is that to have a successful marital relationship, they have to understand true friendship....and live it out. I praise the Lord that I can say that Dawn is my very best friend. Whatever stage of life you are in.....whether or not you have a partner at this time, be encourged that real love is alive....that it is possible....

Weary and burdened?

Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30

I don't know about you, but I get weary. Sometimes I wonder if I am doing something wrong. Heavy burdens build up that cause my whole being to experience weariness. But, then I realize that I am not any less of a Christian just because I get burdened and become weary. What the passage reminds me is that there is a better way. Jesus is inviting me to take on his yoke....the one that is easy and light. And what is the result?....rest. Not just a future rest, but one that is real here and now. I need this. Lord, before the weariness really sets in, help me to remember that you are always inviting me to a better way....a way that leads to rest. Forgive me when I may want to carry the burdens just a little longer than I should-- teach me to long for the rest that only you can provide.

Almost....but not quite there.....

Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience. Hebrews 4:11

We've all been teenagers. And so, we've been grounded for a week, approximately two days before the "world's largest party" or that concert that "all of our friends are going to"....etc. You know what I mean. We were almost there....but it just didn't happen. We messed up.... we blew it.... we did something so horrible that our parents- two days before the event- pulled the trump discipline, "You are grounded for a week." "No!"....our world came crashing down. We could smell it, taste it, see it....but then, it was out of sight. We were the only person in the vast universe sitting at home while the rest of the world got to go.

Okay, that was rather dramatic for being a generic, hypothetical scenario. Actually, there is a real story behind it, but I wanted to protect the guilty (me). Anyhow, I am sure that you recall the Israelites wandering in the wilderness for 40 years. The bible makes it clear that they did not get to enter their rest (The Promised Land) due to the hardening of their hearts.... disobedience.... rebellion. What should have been an eleven day journey, ended in 40 years of walking around in the wilderness and never reaching the promised destination. They were divinely "grounded."

The author of Hebrews is imploring his readers to "make every effort to enter that rest" and to not "harden their hearts." Bottom-line, the "rest" that the scriptures talk about only comes through faith in Jesus Christ. You either have it or you don't. Are you tired of walking in the wilderness? There is a way out!

He rested?

By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done. Genesis 2:2-3

I do not know why God rested on the 7th day. Maybe because he got all his creation work done in six days and just didn't know what to do on the 7th day, so he rested. I know our bodies need rest to function. I like the fact that there are weekends to "rest" from our weekly vocations. Going without rest can make some people really cranky...I won't mention any names. Jesus even needed a rest from the people that were crowding in upon him. When you make homemade rolls, you have to let the dough rest....so that it can do its thing and rise. I'm told that a baseball pitcher has to rest his arm for three days if he throws 85 pitches in a game. Our young ones can't go a whole day without taking a rest, a.k.a. a nap. Okay, enough of the random thoughts. If "rest" is something that God would like us to experience, I think I need to find out more about it. I hope that you'll join me the remainder of this week as I try to find out more about this whole notion of rest.

Show mommy how fast you can run.....

The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still. Exodus 14:14

We do "testimony time" in our church....Since Sunday was Mother's Day, we were encouraged to share a heartwarming story about our moms. Well, one man stood up....a man probably in his early 60's.....and he recalled a story from his childhood. One day he was outside sitting in the yard playing when his mother came out the back door. (Realize that he already set up this story by telling us that his mother liked to shoot guns.) Anyhow, as his mother came out the back door he noticed that she had a .22 caliber pistol in her hand, down by her side. He told us that she calmly looked him in the face and told him, "Now, show mommy how fast you can run." He relayed that at that very moment he remembered thinking to himself that he knew his mother loved him, but was wondering what he could have possibly done for his mother to shoot him. In any case, he said that he got up, and since he lived in the era of Gene Autry and Roy Rogers, he knew that he would have a better chance at staying alive if he ran in a zig-zag pattern. And so, he took off....zig-zagging back and forth. Then, he heard a shot.....stopped briefly to wonder if he had been shot.....luckily, she apparently missed.....so he kept on running. I'll skip to the end of the story....actually his mom had spotted a snake that had crawled ever so silently up behind him where he was sitting in the grass. So, his mom did what any wonderful gun-toting mom would do- she told her son to run and then proceeded to shoot the snake. Now that is a great story! Unlike the verse above, sometimes you do need to run. Remember that today, God is your protector, obey Him, even when you may not fully understand his commands!

Like little children.....

He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 18:2-3

That's pretty clear. There is something that is so endearing about the faith of a child. I am blessed to be in a place where I can walk down the hall and see this very thing in action. It is priceless. The press and onslaught of the world has not taken its grip yet. Of course all I have to do is walk down another hall, and the toll of the world is pressing in, seeking to devour the childlike faith. In a PreK through 12th grade school setting we see the full range. In any case, at the very beginning of this week I sought to focus our attention on what God really desires of us. Hopefully, you have travelled the short journey with me through this week and have been reminded that Christianity is not a list of regulations, rather it's all about a relationship..... getting into God's presence..... resting in his everlasting arms.....and now through the passage above, realizing that God desires a childlike faith. This is different than childishness or an immature faith. Rather, this is all about undeniable humility before our creator. The context of this passage is a group of disciples asking a ridiculous question about who would be the greatest in the kingdom. Can't you just see Jesus in the midst of this argument calling a little child into their midst? Ha, you want to hear who the greatest is? Take a close look at this child..... you gotta change and become just like this child..... you have to humble yourself.... What an amazingly pointed teacher! Well, don't miss it. Does our faith stack up to this test? Simple childlike faith?

Daddy's Arms.....

The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. He will drive out your enemy before you, saying, "Destroy him!" Deuteronomy 33:27

Parenting is not for the faint-hearted. I'll be the first to say that it is a very humbling task frought with easily made mistakes. However, on the other hand, every once in a blue moon, there are things that we do as a parent where we know we have nailed it. I mean, we absolutely got it right. Here's an example....I have been telling all three of my children from their infancy that the safest place in the world is in their daddy's arms. Even now, I'll catch myself asking them, "Where's the safest place in the world?"....and without them batting an eye, they will say, "In my daddy's arms." I love this. I got this one right! Of course, I have always wanted them to know that I will be their protector, but that's not the point. This is a spiritual reality that I have been speaking into their lives for many years. When my physical arms become weak and feeble, they will still know whose arms they can turn to for protection and security. Just like the verse above declares, the eternal God is our refuge! Now, remember the context (read back a few posts....)- What does God really desire of me? --to place myself under his everlasting arms. It really is the safest place you will ever be.

Daddy......

For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." Romans 8:15

"Daddy"......I love when this word is used in just a certain way. Sometimes I hear it when my children have serious questions that need a greater wisdom than their experience affords. Other times, I hear it when something has frightened them and they are moving toward me. But my favorite is when I hear it just before the words, "I love you." When life gets hurried, it doesn't come out as often. Or, if they think that I have wronged them..... sometimes I'll get a "Dad!"....but it definitely is not the same. But one thing is for sure, I never hear it when my children are out of my presence. While I strongly desire for my children to grow and mature and become independent, I want them to always know that they are loved with an everlasting love. Period.....End of story.....No strings attached. Do you think, maybe, just maybe, that's what my heavenly father desires of me, his son?

What's the point?

But now, this is what the LORD says- he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are mine.... Isaiah 43:1

Let's play a quick game? Answer the following with the first thing that comes to mind....do some free association. However, I want you to think, "big picture." Here we go..... What's the point of a car? What's the point of a house? What's the point of food? If you played the game like you should have, you would have thought the following: Car? -for transportation, House? -for shelter, Food? -to nourish the body. That was simple. Round two....let's play again- What's the point of Christianity? Bottom-line....boil it down....what's the point? Take a figurative five steps back away from Christianity and what do you see as its purpose. Hopefully you don't see laws, commands, rituals, or traditions. If you are back far enough away, you should see "relationship." So, here's the big picture- God created, man sinned, and the Savior redeems. Said more simply- God desires to be in relationship with his creation....and God has even provided a way for fallen man to be in relationship with Holy God. His name is Jesus. Read the verse above one more time- we are created, we are redeemed, God has called us by name and we are His! That's the whole point. Why do you think we make it so complicated?

The list....

Well, the weekend is officially over... The "going-into-the-weekend" list of to-do's was fairly hefty with nine substantial items. How'd I do? I accomplished three, made some progress on three, and came nowhere close on the final three tasks. Depending on the "proverbial" half glass full / half glass empty idea, my weekend task glass was 50% at best. This got me to thinking... If I had to create a to-do list for my spiritual life, what would God desire of me? Would it be to try harder to be nice to people? To lift up my hands in Church when I sing? To give more money to ministries? To feel more guilt and shame over my sin? To witness to strangers? To smile more and look happy no matter the circumstance? To practice speaking in tongues in the mirror? To commit to act more like a Christian? To pray five times a day? To fast at least one day a week? etc. etc. etc. I mean, what does God really desire of me? Is it to do more things so that I look more and more like a Christian? Is that what Christianity is all about? If so, I give up. I'll never make it. My Christian "to-do" list will probably be about as good as my "weekend to-do list accomplishment"....50% at best. However, I think there might be another way. I am going to search through the scriptures over the next few days to see what I find....what does God really desire of me? Anybody want to join me? If so, crack open your Bible also....we'll compare notes.