Author: DavidWS

The following is from an article by C.S. Lewis “How to Get Along With Difficult People” that is cited in Alexander Strauch’s book Biblical Eldership An Urgent Call To Restore Biblical Church Leadership.

“And you see, looking back, how all the plans you have ever made always have shipwrecked on that fatal flaw–on “X’s” incurable jealousy, or laziness, or touchiness, or muddleheadedness, or bossiness, or ill temper, or changeableness…

“This is the next great step in wisdom–to realize that you also are just that sort of person, You also have a fatal flaw in your character. All the hopes and plans of others have again and again shipwrecked on your character just as your hopes and plans have shipwrecked on theirs.

“It is no good passing this over with some vague, general admission such as “Of course, I know I have my faults.” It is important to realize that there is some really fatal flaw in you: something which gives the others just the same feeling of despair which their flaws give you, And it is almost certainly something you don’t know about–like what the advertisements call “halitosis” which everyone notices except the person who has it.

“But why, you ask, don’t the others tell me? Believe me, they have tried to tell you over and over again, and you just couldn’t “take it.” Perhaps a good deal of what you call their “nagging” or “bad temper” or “queerness” are just their attempts to make you see the truth. And even the faults you do know you don’t know fully.”

Is the weight, the worth, and the glory of Christ the center of your life around which everything (all things) in your life — your thoughts, your emotions, your actions — revolve.

The gravitational pull of Jesus is that great. How great? So great that it can handle the stress, the pressure, and the tension of holding all of you — even when you are in the greatest distress. He can hold all you you securely in his grasp. This is true religion. This is what it means to be wholeheartedly committed to Christ.

Do you feel that aligning pull. Not just intellectually, but within your whole being. Your affections, your thoughts, your actions. Do you feel them being pulled inline with Jesus? That is sanctification. It is Jesus pulling all of your entire being to fall into orbit around him.

Hiker’s Guide to the Universe – Do NOT drink the water

Picture an adopted child who disobeys or is in a state of rebellion. The parent tells the child to complete a particular chore. The child says, “No!” Does the adopted child become any less adopted because of this response? Of course not. However, at the point of disobedience or rebellion the child is not behaving as a child of the parent, but the parent knows that he/she is still the parent and the child is still the child. So the parent lovingly finds a way to bring discipline to the child in a way that honors the relationship. The goal is to bring the child to complete the chore because of the love the child has for the parent and the love the parent has for the child. You don’t look at your child and say, “If you don’t do your chore you will no longer be my child. And yet, if the child never shows any outward signs of obedience how will anyone ever know?

At the church I attend the adults and children participate in Bible classes. Currently they follow the Answers Bible Curriculum, but that is just a tool to help accomplish the purpose. We don’t have these classes so they will know history. Although, the Bible does teach history. We do it so that we (adults) and they (children) will know God and be connected to Him who is the source of living water. That water flows from the heart through the lips and brings life. When connected to the source of fresh living water the result of our words will be fresh life giving water. Compare that to salt water that kills. Those desperate for water need fresh living water. Salt water will kill them. Our hope is they will find us to be a source of living water. Living water brings live and sustains life. Oh that those desperate for it will find it and live on, breath another breath, live another day, and live forever eternally.

Colossians 2:1-4

In his letter to the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae Paul speaks of protection from delusion. “I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments.” (2:4). Today there are many people putting forth arguments that are plausible but misleading and false. To be persuaded by those arguments is to be deluded. What does Paul say in order that the believers in Colossae would not be deluded?

He wants their hearts to be encouraged. He wants them to be knit together in love. Notice that it is love that knits them together. It is not politics, allegiance to a sport’s team, or a follower of a particular person other than Christ. It is being knit together in love that protects from plausible but delusional arguments. This is why it is so important to keep pointing to Christ.

Paul wants them to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ. He desires for them to have this protection that comes from understanding and knowing Christ. Notice that it is not just knowing about Christ. This is an understanding and knowledge that brings all the riches of full assurance.

He explains why Christ is the key. In Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. They are in Christ. We need to look to Christ and in doing so we will be protected from the delusional, yet plausible, arguments swirling all about us.

Jesus was stressed out in the Garden of Gethsemane to the point of sweating drops of blood so that you don’t need to be. Jesus experienced tachycardia from stress so you can be bradycardia in times of greatest stress. He suffered for you. He died so that you can live. The world says that it is stress to live. Jesus says I was stress for you. Now live.

The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him. Nahum 1:7 (ESV)

The end of the month is near and it will soon be time to post the update for December. At Webstriker we wait until the month is closed before running the numbers a final time and updating the results of our propensity ratings. We are looking for funds that have the propensity to continue to rise.

November can be a tricky month. If you funds are in a taxable account you want to make sure you don’t buy the taxable distributions. So it requires a little extra research to see when a fund is going to distribution dividends and capital gains so that you can make an informed decision about when to buy in.

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