backlogged

So, its been a week and a half since I've been back. Enough time to finish my left over grading, to do something many teachers do, but take the other side and get yelled at, to start a tutoring session four times a week, to start a computer programming club, and to head up a group of teachers trying to get some consistency brought to the uniform rules. Busy week.

Yes, I am tutoring a student 1v1 at school, during my free 8th period. She missed almost the entire first quarter, and needed to catch up. I was asked, and couldn't really turn it down when I'm going to be at school anyway, and now I'm getting paid for those 4 hours twice. I do lose my free 8th period.

Then, I began to setup for a computer club. I was asked, by students, prior to going to MI, and I was happy to start. Then I was asked about the tutoring, so the conclusion then, is that during one 8th period, probably Tuesday, I will be doing the computer club, which means that on that day, my tutoring will move to 3rd period, so I lose 1 3rd period a week too. My time is slipping away from me.

Yes, I got in trouble. I should have probably known better, but at the same time I was not the only one, just that when I did it, it was "inflammatory." /shrug. Its over and I will just be more careful in the future.


In addition, I've been doing more thinking about everything previously blogged. While in MI I heard a Sunday school lesson that was very applicable to this stuff. 1 Cor. 7 and Romans 14. "Knowledge puffeth up." "Charity edifieth." "All things are lawful." "All things are not expedient."

So, let's go hypothetical for a bit. I have knowledge that I can eat meat, but that is not what matters. The other guy has knowledge that eating meat offered to idols is not expedient. Now, they both have knowledge and I think we as fundamentalists have capitalized on the "knowledge" that we have and made rules out of it. Let me go on.

It is not wrong to play poker, or to smoke a cigar. Yes, it is lawful, and within my Christian rights, I may do that. However, it is often not expedient. [Is this the Galatians dilemma, liberty vs. license? We have liberty to do whatever (within the context here...we are not talking liberty to steal, etc.)] It is not expedient. That is, it does not further the Gospel as other things would do. It does not glorify Christ in the best manner possible. When we talk expedient or not, we are talking best or not. So, yes, old time fundamentalists took these things they were sure were the expedients and instead of teaching "Charity edifieth," they made and taught rules.

Why? Do we blame them? Not really. You can teach rules. You CAN'T teach charity. Charity comes from a relationship with Christ. Charity comes from spending TIME, lots and lots of time in the Word of God and talking to God.

Anecdotal experience. I've been working out regularly for a while now. I was convinced however, my first year at MBBC that I could hit 300 by Christmas of my second year. I took too many breaks to know if I actually could have or not, but now that I am regular at it, and have been for almost a year, I realize I was probably wrong. I am making progress. I can lift more than ever before; I look better; but I am not huge, nor can I bench 300 (that I know of).

Back to charity and a relationship. And then, the other thing I have been considering for a long time: being God's friend. Abraham was God's friend. God's friend. It wasn't that God was Abraham's friend. God is the friend to many. But how many are God's friend? Think about it. How do you become God's friend?

When I was told I could not talk to my wife (back before she was) I drove out to WI to explain to her dad that our relationship could not move forward without spending time together and communicating. The same applies to God and us. We need time and communication with Him. Well, I really shouldn't lecture about it. Especially since nothing can be done about it.

That is another thing. It was my turn to do faculty devos last week. I debated for some time what do to, but I ended up talking for just a couple minutes and then reading all of Psalms 9. The fact is, I am nothing, and my words are nothing; but I had God's Word, so I used that.

Nothing we say can do anything. The only thing that changes anything is the Word of God. This is why every chapel lecture, every devotional, every message, every Bible study, is worthless without Scripture. It does no good for me to lecture people on doing right, without including the words of Holy God. My words are not alive. My words are not transcendent. My words are not sharper than a two-edged sword. They do not discern the thoughts and intents of the heart. Only God's word does that. If we dare try to assume that our words will be ok; that our words can approximate what God's words do; that our words could in someway move the heart; we have then made ourselves God. That really is just what Satan did. . .people don't like it when I draw analogies like that.

Anyway, the music thing can probably fall into something like this. Maybe they had it right back before and the modern is all wrong, but knowledge puffeth up, and charity edifieth. Maybe, they have it right now; knowledge puffeth up and charity edifieth. Lastly, all things are lawful, but all things are not expedient.

On to something else about worship and being in awe of God. We aren't often in awe of God as we should be. Think about Isaiah. Ezekiel. Jesus in the garden. "Jesus saith unto them, I am he. . .As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground." With the brief glimpse of who Christ was, whatever He showed them at that time, they fell to the ground. When Isaiah beheld God's glory, he did not jump up and down and wave his hands, he fell to his face and said "Woe is me." The elders in Heaven do continually bow before the throne. Do we ever prostrate ourselves before Him? We have become too comfortable with a "god" that we do not need to stand in awe and fear of. God is referenced as the "fear of Isaac." Yes, we have lost Godly fear.

Then, lastly, what is worship? How do we define worship? Is worship reading the Bible? Is worship always corporate? Is worship praying? Can you read the Bible, and pray without it being worship? I mean actually talking to God and building a relationship, but not worshiping? Or is it worship? How would you define it? Something that my wife and I were discussing tonight.

Anyway, its late so I should go. We have found Bones an interesting show lately.