What Would You Think?

What would you think if some one told you to read Psalm 71 and it would explain your life? What would you do?

PSALM 71

Psalm 711
71:1 In you, O Lord, I have taken shelter!
Never let me be humiliated!
71:2 Vindicate me by rescuing me!2
Listen to me!3 Deliver me!4
71:3 Be my protector and refuge,5
a stronghold where I can be safe!6
For you are my high ridge7 and my stronghold.
71:4 My God, rescue me from the power8 of the wicked,
from the hand of the cruel oppressor!
71:5 For you give me confidence,9 O sovereign Master;
O Lord, I have trusted in you since I was young.10
71:6 I have leaned on you since birth;11
you pulled me12 from my mother’s womb.
I praise you continually.13
71:7 Many are appalled when they see me,14
but you are my secure shelter.
71:8 I praise you constantly
and speak of your splendor all day long.15
71:9 Do not reject me in my old age!16
When my strength fails, do not abandon me!
71:10 For my enemies talk about me;
those waiting for a chance to kill me plot my demise.17
71:11 They say,18 “God has abandoned him.
Run and seize him, for there is no one who will rescue him!”
71:12 O God, do not remain far away from me!
My God, hurry and help me!19
71:13 May my accusers be humiliated and defeated!
May those who want to harm me20 be covered with scorn and disgrace!
71:14 As for me, I will wait continually,
and will continue to praise you.21
71:15 I will tell about your justice,
and all day long proclaim your salvation,22
though I cannot fathom its full extent.23
71:16 I will come and tell about24 the mighty acts of the sovereign Lord.
I will proclaim your justice—yours alone.
71:17 O God, you have taught me since I was young,
and I am still declaring25 your amazing deeds.
71:18 Even when I am old and gray,26
O God, do not abandon me,
until I tell the next generation about your strength,
and those coming after me about your power.27
71:19 Your justice, O God, extends to the skies above;28
you have done great things.29
O God, who can compare to you?30
71:20 Though you have allowed me to experience much trouble and distress,31
revive me once again!32
Bring me up once again33 from the depths of the earth!
71:21 Raise me to a position of great honor!34
Turn and comfort me!35
71:22 I will express my thanks to you with a stringed instrument,
praising36 your faithfulness, O my God!
I will sing praises to you accompanied by a harp,
O sovereign king of Israel!37
71:23 My lips will shout for joy! Yes,38 I will sing your praises!
I will praise you when you rescue me!39
71:24 All day long my tongue will also tell about your justice,
for those who want to harm me40 will be embarrassed and ashamed.41

(NET Bible)

In Christ

I do my best
Yet fall far short
Unless Christ
Through me
Does Holy work

Christopher

On Being Good

I've been watching and listening and even reading about Katrina. People's reactions are as different as people themselves. Most oppinions I have heard fall into either political or moral positions. Within these two areanas, thoughts are polarized. I don't want to devle too far into politics at this point. I'll jus go on record by saying that the two general sides are either anti- Bush or anti -victims. Neither side is correct. The problems are societal in nature. Long range policies are mostly to blame.


More in keeping with the themes covered in this blog is the moral polarities brought to light by the Katrina disaster. There are moral polarities involved in the political spectrum, but I am more concerned with people's thoughts...well..concerning the victims. And, more precisely, I want to adress the reactions of those moral people who have gone out of their way and even made sacrifices to help the victims of this disaster.

First of all, I want to say that it is wonderful that so many people have reached out to the hurricane survivors and given them their time, resources, food, clothing, shelter, and prayers. I read an article the other day about a guy who went and donated his time and effort as a volunteer and left totally dismayed by what happened to him. This is really what my reactio is adressing in this article. I am positive that others have had similar experiences and left just as jaded as he.

He handed out water to people as they diembarked buses at a major drop off site and was insulted by uncaring people who complaied that they were not being given soda pop. He then went inside and handed out food to people who asked for Mc Donalds instead and then neglected to pick up after themselves. Finally, when he suggested that some healthy teenager boys might help the women and other volunteers who stting up the air mattresses and such for their beds and was sworn at, he had had enough and left the scen in disgust.

I must admit, that I really empathize with this gentleman. He honestly went down there to help out and did not deserve to be treated the way that he was, especially not by the very individuals he was trying to help. He is right, those rude and disgusting people did not deserve his help. But he was also in the wrong. Oh yea, he was following a moral obligation of doing what he could to help those in need. He was being very moral. But he was not being a good person.

There's a difference between being a moral person and being a good person, after all. A moral person does good things especially to people less fortunate than him or her self. He or she knows how to do the right thing and will usually do it just because it is the right thing to do. Watch out though. Because, if you are not some one who is doing the right thing, then you must be doing the wrong thing and are therefore an immoral person which is logically equated with being a bad person. Bad people don't deserve help. Moral people who do help bad people are just all that more superior for doing so. Moral people are merely self agrandizing egoists despite all of their hugs and tears.

A good person, will often look exactly like a moral person. This is because what usually seems like a good thing to do is a good thing to do. So there we see good and moral people working side by side at food pantries and as disaster relef workers, giving blood, and helping old ladies across the street. The subtle difference between a moral person and a good person most of the time is in their attitudes. Whereas a moral person is doing the other person a favor by helping them, the other person is doing the good person a favor by allowing him or her to help. A moral person condescends to lend a hand. A good person serves for the sake of serving. A good person welcomes the opportunity to serve because there is a need to be filled. It's not about the servant or even the served. It's just about service.

By serving, just serving, we flame the fire of Christ within us. We come closer to God. We do not take credit we do not ask for reward. After all, we did nothing. If any good occured because of our actions it was because of Christ in us. What reward compares to the one we already have in heaven?

By serving, just serving, our light, which is Christ's, which is Christ, shines for the world to see and our LORD is glorified and, in some small way, the Gospel is proclaimed. That is the "Simple Hermeneutic" actualized for Him.

Christopher

End Times Links

Click on the title above to go to "Christian Web Site". It has a variety of links to information about the end-times. I hear many Christians talking as if we are near to Christ's return. I'm trying to get my thought lined up about this abut I will say this. Looking for Christ's imminent return is the proper Christian attitude in any time.

Christopher

God Bless You!

May you be at peace. AMEN

Spiritual Gifts

I believe that every Christian needs to be involved in the work of the Kingdom. To aid believers in this, here is a link to a Spiritual Gifts Analysis. It's a pretty good one, I think. All you have to do is click on the above title and you'll be taken to the testing site.
Christopher