Work

Since I am a college professor, I have some "free time" in the summer. Besides being a teacher I am also a homeschooling father and an elder in a local church. Thus the parentheses around free time.

Our two youngest children are 15 and 17 years old. We are trying to teach them the value of hard work this summer. It is already quite hot here in Central Texas (mid-90's) so the boys are doing their outside work in the morning and their "schooling" in the afternoon.

They have been learning how to paint this summer. They are in the process of scraping, priming, and painting the exterior of our house. All skills that they can use in the future. One thing that I am trying to teach them is that "the job isn't done until the site is clean and all the tools are put up!" I want them to learn the value of a job well done. Also, that work done unto the Lord is glorifying to His name.

Work is a blessing and a gift from the Lord. With it we provide not only for ourselves, but for others less fortunate than ourselves (widows and orphans in their distress). The first-fruits of our labor should, of course, go back to the Lord. All that we have is a gift from Him in the first place. My brother and my wife's older brother are both out of (full-time) work. They are both hard-working individuals. Both of them understand the value of work, currently not having enough of it.

If you have enough work, you should be thankful. If you have "free time" as I do this summer, you should use it to prepare others to do their work heartily unto the Lord. You should also consider doing mission work, whether in your community or around the world.

Importance of Prayer

9:00am

Paul tells us that the first rule of household order is prayer (1 Timothy 2:1-8). Undoubtedly, most of us know that prayer is of primal importance in living our lives for the Kingdom (Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. ). We aren't very potent against spiritual wickedness on our own (Not at all, actually!). My natural reaction, however, is to try and fix whatever is wrong ASAP! I am working on asking God to take care of the problems, and then asking Him to use me when He wants to.

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Thoughts

I was having some problems yesterday with my attitude as I was reading a book over ways to have a healthy Assembly. The book was replete with the pastor, new pastor, and the like. It was written as if a guide book for a single man leading an institutional church. I emailed the author and asked if he thought that the modern pastor and biblical elder were different roles. He emailed back and said that his ministry took the position that they were one and the same.

After further reading in the book, I did find affirmation that the author indeed believes in an elder-led Body. However, there was a HUGE caveat in his teaching on this subject: There is a deliberate distinction between Staff and non-Staff elders. The non-Staff elders (in his opinion) should rotate out of the ministry while the Staff elders do not rotate. Again, while affirming (in my opinion) the veracity of elder-rule in Scripture, he quickly re-establishes the (non-biblical) clergy-laity distinction. In-other-words, the Bible-school/seminary-trained Staff has a distinction over the lay-Staff. All of the arguments for rotating non-Staff members relate to Staff members, EXCEPT that Staff members get paid, and this would cause a hardship for them. "Follow the money!" is the rule even in the Church.

Trip to Enchanted Rock State Park

I found an interesting translation while reading through Isaiah 34 this morning:

“And the palaces of Edom break out into thorns, nettles and thistles in its castles; and it becomes the abode of wild dogs, pasture for ostriches. And martens meet with jackals, and a wood-devil runs upon its fellow; yea, Liiliith dwells there, and finds rest for itself. There the arrow-snake makes its nest, and breeds and lays eggs, and broods in the shadow there; yea, there vultures gather together one to another.(34:13-15; K&D)”

In the Webster and KJV translations, the wood-devil is translated "satyr."

After the sword of the Lord destroys His enemies, Edom (representing the world) will be a habitation for wild animals and strange creatures, including Liiliith (Lilith, George Macdonald). Liiliith represents evil spirits, and she has now found a home in the place where Edom (the world) once inaugurated its kings and leaders.

"Lı̄lı̄th (Syr. and Zab. lelitho), lit., the creature of the night, was a female demon (shēdâh) of the popular mythology; according to the legends, it was a malicious fairy that was especially hurtful to children, like some of the fairies of our own fairy tales" (K&D).

Musings

10:33am

Got up at 6:00am this beautiful Saturday morning. Read a bit out of 1 Chronicles, did some praying, roasted some green coffee bean, made some coffee, started some laundry, put on some steel-cut oats, got Kathy up, ate the oats (with almonds, raisins, cinnamon, brown sugar, and a bit of half 'n' half), went for a jog (until mother-nature called), came home and fixed a leak on Caleb's toilet, took a shower, brewed up some fresh Sumatran decaf, read a bit of Dave Black online, and finally sat down here to write something. Kathy, by-the-way, is cooking up some bacon, biscuits, eggs, and gravy for "second breakfasts" (Bilbo would certainly approve)!

While we jogged, we talked about what we are going to discuss tomorrow in our service: How to hone our focus on the Kingdom of God. If it's sin, we need to get it out of our lives. If it is part of the world system and we are obsessing on it, we need to get it out of our lives. If it is okay but hinders our following the Lord, we need to get it out of our lives (some things are legal but not profitable).

We want our Body of Christ to be a light on a hill, to be salt to the world, to shine in the darkness.

Gold and Silver: An Admonition (to myself)

I have "Our Daily Bread" as my homepage so that I can do their 'Bible In One Year' program. This morning, for the NT portion, the Scripture reading was Luke 12. Luke 12:13-21 caught my attention:

Luk 12:13 And one of the company said to him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me.
Luk 12:14 And he said to him, Man, who made me a judge, or a divider over you?
Luk 12:15 And he said to them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
Luk 12:16 And he spoke a parable to them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:
Luk 12:17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to deposit my fruits?
Luk 12:18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I deposit all my fruits and my goods.
Luk 12:19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast abundance of goods laid up for many years; take thy ease, eat, drink, and be merry.
Luk 12:20 But God said to him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be which thou hast provided?
Luk 12:21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich towards God.

The reason it caught my attention is because I have been reading a book titled, Guide to Investing in Gold and Silver, by Michael Maloney. I am interested in investing in gold and silver (Without the means to do so in a significant way!) and have found the book an excellent primer on the precious metals market. I also am in the midst of teaching an Investment Analysis course and thought to implement some of the material this semester.

It's clear to me that I can sometimes do the right thing for wrong reasons. It's certainly not wrong to plan or prepare for the future. God wants us to provide for and take care of our families, our brothers/sisters in Christ, and others less fortunate that we come in contact with. But, I want to be careful not to allow my possessions to take hold of me:

Deu 8:18 But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he swore to thy fathers, as it is this day.
Deu 8:19 And it shall be, if thou shalt at all forget the LORD thy God, and walk after other gods, and serve them, and worship them, I testify against you this day that ye shall surely perish.

Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and all these things shall be added unto you. Thank you Lord for this admonition to me!