The Walk Per Day

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229) Php 4:6 . . Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Webster's defines "anxiety" as: characterized by extreme uneasiness of mind, or brooding fear about some contingency; viz: worry-- which implies an incessant goading, or attacking, that drives one to desperation.

If believers were never to be anxious then there would be little, if any, need to pray and share one's concerns with their father in Heaven. The point here, is to avoid desperation. When people get desperate, they start making mistakes; and some of those mistakes can be life-changing; and cause permanent damage.

Tuesday, Aug 04, 2009 a deranged man named George Sodini walked into an LA Fitness gym in Philadelphia and gunned down twelve women in an exercise class. His impetus? According to information police later found on his blog, the 48 year-old man was in a mental state brought on by his long-held personal conviction that not one woman in the whole world could possibly love him. In his mind; women were a threat to his survival-- cruel, venomous sirens whose mission in life is to torment males and make them unhappy. No doubt in Sodini's thinking, murdering those women was justifiable revenge for ruining his life, i.e. they had it coming.

His case is extreme, yes, but it serves to illustrate what happens to people when they let desperation gnaw at their feelings for too long a time. Pretty soon they crack and do something irrational.

C.S. Lewis, famed author of The Screwtape Letters, and The Chronicles of Narnia; once remarked that he prayed, not because he expected results but, because it made him feel better.

Well, if prayer makes you feel better, then more power to you-- in point of fact, I highly recommend conversational prayer because talking things out with somebody, even an imaginary playmate, is far and away better than talking things out with nobody.

There are instances in the Old Testament where God actually sent His people troubles just to get their attention and start them talking to Him again. Sort of like a little boy in third grade spitting on the hair of a girl sitting in front of him so she'll notice him. (chuckle) Well, if God spits on your hair, so to speak, then maybe it's time you and He had a fireside chat.

● Php 4:7 . . And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

230) Php 4:8 . . Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy --think about such things.

The Greek word for "think about" is logizomai (log-id'-zom-ahee) which basically means to take an inventory, defined by Webster's as to list and/or to catalogue

That is a very, very exciting word in the overall plan of salvation. Here's why:

"God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them." (2Cor 5:19)

"counting" is from logizomai.

In other words: due to Christ satisfying justice for people's sins on the cross, God is now in a position to stop recording their sins as criminal offenses.

FAQ: So; when you believed in Christ, God forgave you up to that point. What about the sins you'll commit in the future?

A: Well; according to Jer 31:31-34, Heb 8:7-12, and of course 2Cor 5:19; God is no longer compiling an indictment to hold against me! In other words: He forgets my sins, so to speak, i.e. were I to inquire if my sins were in any way placing me in danger of the sum of all fears, God would reply-- in so many words --fuggedaboutit. That's very, very comforting.

So, we may take Phil 4:8 to mean just the opposite, i.e. Christ's followers should make an effort to remember the Bible's values and its principles, and not forget them, i.e. not let them go in one ear and out the other.

231) Php 4:9 . . Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me-- put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

You know, sometimes I think that too many Christians are somehow under the impression that the New Testament's epistles are not all that important in matters related to faith and practice. They've made the Sermon On The Mount their religion and they think that's all they need. But if they want the God of peace to be with them instead of off in the distance; then they are simply going to have to revise their estimate. Compliance with the epistles is not optional; no, it's essential.

● 1Cor 14:37 . . If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.

● 1Ths 4:1-2 . .We beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more. For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus.

● Jas 1:22-25 . . And remember, it is a message to obey, not just to listen to. If you don't obey, you are only fooling yourself. For if you just listen and don't obey, it is like looking at your face in a mirror but doing nothing to improve your appearance. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you keep looking steadily into God's perfect law-- the law that sets you free --and if you do what it says and don't forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.

232) Col 2:6-7 . . So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

That directive, of course, is restricted to the faith as you were taught by Paul and his contemporaries. He and they taught only one faith rather than a buffet of faiths to choose from.

● Eph 4:4-5 . . There is one faith

● Jude 1:3 . . Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints.

It's neither wise nor humane to encourage somebody rooted and built up in Christian cults to continue in those faiths: e.g. Moonies, Christian Science, Seventh Day Adventism, Herbert W. Armstrong, Mormonism, and/or the Watchtower Society, et al.

Paul emphasized receiving Christ Jesus as "lord". The koiné Greek word is kurios (koo'-ree-os) which means: supreme in authority; viz: one's master-- whether a dictator, despot, monarch, or chief of police; et al.

Kurios is an ambiguous word that simply indicates someone higher in rank than yourself whether God or anybody else, even a senior citizen. So words like sir, mister, boss, and master can be translated from kurios too. The point is, the Bible's Jesus is in charge of his own sheep; which means he has a right to make some demands upon them; viz: he's the leader; they the followers; or why bother with Psalm 23?

● Ps 23:1-2 . .The Lord is my shepherd; he leadeth me

If the Lord is the shepherd, and if he's the leader; then why are some of his "followers" off-reservation doing their own thing instead of in line where they belong?

● Luke 6:46 . .Why do you call me lord and master and do not what I say?

● Mal 1:6 . . A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the fear due me?-- protests Yhvh Almighty.

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237) Col 3:1-2 . . Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.

Christianity is a lethal religion. It puts its believers to death on the cross with Christ and they are encouraged to think of that as a reality; and not only that, but also to account their resurrection to immortality a done deal, i.e. it's in the bag. (Rom 6:3-11, Gal 2:20)

238) Col 3:5 . . Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature

The earthly nature of Christ's followers was judged, sentenced, and executed on his cross but his followers won't be rid of their earthly nature till they pass on. However, if Christ's followers want to take advantage of God's kindly patronage and providence, they have got to straighten up and fly right. This has been an axiom since the very beginning.

● Gen 4:6-7 . . If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.

And it's still an axiom to this very day.

● 1John 1:5-7 . . And this is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth

At this point, the epistle lists a catalogue of behaviors that aren't practiced in heaven; and since the Lord's sheep are destined for that place, they need to start living now like they will be living then.

239) Col 3:5-11 . . sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.

Webster's defines "malice" as: desire to cause pain, injury, or distress to another. Behaviors like deliberate chafing, needling, ridicule, mockery, taunts, demeaning comments, ugly words that tear people down rather than build them up, denigrating labels, biting sarcasm, fault-finding, carping criticism, thoughtless remarks, petty ill will, spite, vindictiveness, and stalking are all malicious behaviors that no one in heaven ever practices because heaven is a place of peace.

The koiné Greek word for "filthy conversation" is aischrologia (ahee-skhrol-og-ee'-ah) and means: vile conversation.

Webster's defines "vile" as: (1) morally despicable or abhorrent, (2) physically repulsive; viz: foul and/or odious, (3) of little worth or account; viz: common, vulgar, (4) tending to degrade, demean, and/or denigrate, (5) disgustingly and/or utterly bad; viz: obnoxious, contemptible, unacceptable, disagreeable, and (6) base; viz: crude, churlish, unrefined.

240) Col 3:9-10 . . Do not lie to each other since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.

Humanity's original self began its created existence in the image of God (Gen 1:26-27). In other words; Adam started off as an honest man. Clearly then; dishonesty does not reflect the image of God, rather, it projects humanity's own image.

Humanity's original self wasn't created bullet-proof, so to speak. It was corruptible (Eph 4:22). Were that not true, we'd all be honest men rather than a pack of liars, deceivers, beguilers, and dissemblers.

The koiné Greek word for "renewed" is anakainoo (an-ak-ahee-no'-o) which means: to renovate; which Webster's defines as: (1) to restore to a former better state (as by cleaning, repairing, or rebuilding), and (2) to restore to life, vigor, or activity: revive. In other words: regenerate.

NOTE: It's interesting that the Colossian believers were lying to each other, and no doubt would have continued had not Paul commanded them to stop it.

241) Col 3:12 . .Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

Apparently the Colossian believers were neither compassionate, nor kind, nor humble, nor gentle, nor patient, and would have continued to be that way had not Paul hadn't commanded them otherwise.

Paul's basis for these commands is the Colossians' standing as "God's chosen people, holy and dearly beloved" I mean: is it appropriate for people in that kind of a relationship with God to act like devils?

You know, judging from the descriptions of some of the first century churches, I get the impression that were we to go back in time to visit one, we'd be walking into a snake pit.

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254) Col 4:3-4 . . And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.

Proclaiming the mystery of Christ clearly as one should means to avoid sophisticated intellectualism. (1Cor 2:1-5)

When physicist Stephen Hawking set out to write his fabulously popular book "A Brief History Of Time" he determined to make an effort to speak of complicated cosmological concepts in layman's terms. Well; he succeeded, and consequently just about anybody with an average IQ and the ability to read can pick up Stephen's book and get something out of it.

NOTE: In my opinion it is far better to appeal to common folk than the educated elite because most of them are a lost cause no matter.

● 1Cor 1:26 . . For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh.

255) Col 4:5 . . Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.

I once heard a story about a well-meaning sidewalk evangelist who was handing out gospel tracts. A man came by and asked the side-walker what he was doing. The side-walker handed the man a tract and said: Here, read this. Well, the man was illiterate. So he told the side-walker: I can't read your tract, so I'll just watch your tracks.

In other words; don't just talk the talk; walk the walk too: live it because for some people, your life speaks volumes.

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260) 1Ths 4:3-5 . . It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God;

Some folk, not quite understanding the nature of the Spirit birth about which John wrote in John 1:12-13 and about which Christ spoke in John 3:3-8, have been led to believe that born-again Christians are supposed to be free of their libido and their romantic impulses. Well, obviously not, or why else would it be God's will to control them?

There's a downside to sleeping around; not only a spiritual downside but a practical downside too. The below is from a study done by two psychology researchers from the university of Denver after studying 418 people who participated in a Relationship Development Study.

"The more sexual partners one sleeps with prior to marriage, the less quality of life they can expect to have in marriage. This also goes for people who shack up prior to marriage; even among those whose only sexual partner has been the person they eventually marry. People who have been through a divorce, or who had shacked up with someone before meeting their current spouse, were also less likely to have a high-quality marriage."

261) 1Ths 4:6 . . and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him.

"this matter" refers to adultery.

● Heb 13:4 . . Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.

Christians commit adultery with Christians? Haw! Does that even need to be answered? Of course they do; and it goes on all the time, even among church officers; who by all rights should be setting the example for the rank and file.

My wife was once friends with the wife of a counselor in a very big church in San Diego. She confided with my wife (on the QT of course) that it was amazing the number of church officers and their wives who were messing around. She couldn't reveal their names of course due to privacy considerations.

262) 1Ths 4:6-8 . . God has called us to be holy, not to live impure lives. Anyone who refuses to live by these rules is not disobeying human rules but is rejecting God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.

God's rules are the edicts of a monarch; and He expects compliance. But because people hear His rules as hear-say rather than straight from the horse's mouth, they quite naturally tend to be scofflaws.

NOTE: Why "gives" the Spirit instead of gave? Well; although Christ's believing followers are all equally endowed with the Spirit (1Cor 6:19, Eph 1:13) it's benefits are doled.

Jesus depicted the Spirit as a source of living water.

"On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice: If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said: streams of living water will flow from within him. By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive." (John 7:37-39)

When believers go rogue and live in accordance with their base nature instead of complying with Christ's commandments; the water is withheld. Consequently they dry up and become like yard debris. (John 15:1-10, Rom 8:5-13)

263) 1Ths 4:11a . . Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business

● Pro 26:17 . . Like one who seizes a dog by the ears is a passer-by who meddles in a quarrel not his own.

In other words: DON'T get in the middle of disagreements that don't concern you. People resent that. You'll just end up taking sides and that is a really unwise thing to do because you'll make unnecessary enemies like that. Even someone who was once your very best friend can become alienated from you if you take a side against them in a matter that's none of your business.

264) 1Ths 4:11b-12 . . and to work with your own hands, just as we instructed you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders; and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.

In times of economic stress, such as the one the USA is experiencing these days due to the 2008 Wall Street collapse, downsizing, wage reductions, corporations expatriating for tax advantages and/or outsourcing and moving their manufacturing offshore to take advantage of cheap labor and skimpy government controls; a pretty large percentage of America's employable Christians are out of work not because they are lazy free-loaders; but because their opportunities for full time work with decent wages and benefits are steadily declining.

So tread lightly when services like SNAP, TANF, Unemployment Benefits, etc come up in conversations. Innocent people's feeling might get hurt if you become too critical of those kinds of social services. And don't ever assume that you are immune to poverty. It can happen to anyone; even overnight and then you'll be looking around for assistance; maybe even from the very agencies that you at one time thought were below you.

265) 1Ths 4:18 . .Therefore encourage each other with these words.

Below are the words to which Paul referred

● 1Ths 4:13-11 . . Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.

. . . For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.

None of our circumstances are permanent; none, because Christ's followers are on their way to something better; and bumps in the road are not the end of the road; they're just inconveniences.

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271) 1Ths 5:14a . . And we urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly

The koiné Greek word for "unruly" is ataktos (at-ak'-toce) which means: irregular; viz: out of order; disorderly. Unruly people are like kindergartners; but that's to be expected from their age group: little kids are disruptive, they're boisterous, they go off-subject and say whatever they want right out of the blue, they provoke and antagonize each other, they don't listen, they talk out of turn, they're impulsive, they can't stay in their seats, and they meddle and can't mind their own business.

When I see four supposedly adult women on television like "The View" throwing hissy fits and walking off the set, and/or talking out of turn; and spontaneously interrupting each other in mid sentence-- sometimes all four speaking at once --I have to wonder. And so-called presidential debates where two supposedly mature adults, competing for the power to run the country, are quarrelling, calling each other names, and both talking at once and trying to talk over each other rather than taking turns; I get disgusted. God forbid that Christ's followers act like that either in church or out in the world.

272) 1Ths 5:14b . . comfort the discouraged

A discouraged person is someone who's given up all hope that a situation will improve or change; viz: despair.

In order to obey that directive, it's necessary to become personal with the people with whom you attend church. Too many Christians are like little islands of humanity in church. They warm a pew on Sunday morning and then get up and leave without bothering to spend even one minute mingling. They don't attend Sunday school because in Sunday school you meet people-- you associate with them; you get to know them, and they get to know you.

As disagreeable as that might be for private types of Christians, Sunday school is the best place in church to go for sympathy, for encouragement, and for support. Unfortunately, not many Christians can deal with negativity; and tend to distance themselves from people down in the dumps.

NOTE: In Dr. Laura Schlessinger's book "Ten Stupid Things That Men Do To Mess Up Their Lives" she lists men's propensity to fix things. In other words: instead of simply lending a sympathetic ear to people's problems, some men tend to see people with problems as "broken" and in need of repair; and then of course they take the initiative to begin offering unsolicited remedies. No; the idea is to console the discouraged, not to "fix" them.

But even Sunday schools have their problems. If the class size is enormous, then you will be swallowed up and no more visible than a termite in the floor boards. Look for small classes; especially those where the people sit around tables rather than in rows of chairs. You get to meet people around tables, while rows of chairs tend to isolate people from one another.

And don't forget your church's pastors, deacons, and elders. They need encouragement and support too just like anybody else. Don't ever assume your leaders are rocks who don't need anybody. No, they're only human, and if they're truly humble, they'll really appreciate your interest in their welfare-- usually.

I once complimented a young speaker at a men's breakfast about the lecture he delivered that morning. He glared at me with daggers-- his mouth a tight grimace, his eyes narrow slits of hate and suspicion --and turned away without speaking a single word in response. That young man's reaction took me by surprise; chilling me to the bone and causing me to forget everything he said that day up in front. Obviously he was a rock in his own mind and insulted by encouragement from the audience. Well, I kept my distance from then on. God pity a church with people like that on staff.

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