Bradley,
You are waaaaaayyyyyy over our heads, but we got
a great bit of information out of this. Thank you
for writing it and sending it to us!
Mari says she got what she needed.
LOVE AND BLESSINGS TO YOU AND BRENDA,
Reeva Parry and Mari, the Purple One.
Legend has it that on Sunday 10/14/2007 10:53 AM, B Dunse said:
>When reading scripture I often times will find
>myself scouring through the passage bit by bit,
>word by word, through the Strong's Greek/Hebrew
>Dictionary. You can find some real gems of
>enlightenment doing this in various passages
>assumed to mean somewhat differently than when
>first read. As well it can challenge you to look
>at the content of the passage as it relates to
>surrounding scripture, as many times a word
>might mean exceeding joy; happiness;
>satisfaction, and also have in its definition,
>sadness; depression; or the like. Often times
>this isn't quite as easy to determine what is
>intended and one has need to look at the context
>of what is being said to get a clearer picture
>of the intent. Although reading this morning did
>not give such a north pole-south pole
>differentiation, I did pick up one bit of cool
>information which the meaning of one word, well
>actually two but mostly one word. The scripture
>is James 1:2 through 5 reading in the New American Standard Updated version:
>
>"Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you
>encounter various trials, knowing that the
>testing of your faith produces endurance. And
>let endurance have its perfect result, so that
>you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."
>
>How many of you were like I when reading that
>scripture and paraphrased it as "I got to put
>on a smile through my rough times and hang in
>there with faith and God will win, and I have
>faith in God, so I'll win... eventually"
>
>Perhaps you have clearer insight on that verse,
>I'm happy to say reading this morning one word
>changed it for me. First let's get through the
>secondary reminder word that is often times read
>into a little thick on the depressing side of
>things, and then get to the word that to me at
>least, isn't so clear in the translation
>according to the definition when you look it up.
>The first word here is the word ""trials". Strong's defines it as:
>
>a putting to proof (by experiment [of good],
>experience [of evil], solicitation, discipline
>or provocation); by implication, adversity: KJV - temptation, try.
>
>So this word does have a meaning of bad things
>that happen but also temptations, provocations,
>that of being provoked towards something and
>such things. So it doesn't limit the application
>of this scripture to just a string of bad luck
>but also warding off temptations in our lives.
>The word various as a side note means diverse or
>even diverse in character, not knowing where it
>is derived even. So that is the secondary
>enlightenment or really more a reminder of what
>that word includes. The word that helped bring
>this scripture to life is the word count or as
>NASU says, consider. To me that always meant "do
>your best to count it towards the half full
>glass side of things". For instance maybe
>someone would knock my guitar over in the stand
>and bust the neck off and I would be feeling
>like I was just punched in the belly and now
>need to get myself sitting up straight again
>wondering how I'm going to handle this and
>somehow out of this patience, I'll be more
>complete. For you maybe its not a guitar, maybe
>it is a financial thing, we all know what that
>is about, or maybe a situation at work or the
>like where you are feeling a bit subservient or
>in some way you've been punched in the belly and
>need to try to stand up straight. Or, in the
>case of simple temptation you are tempted to
>download that music illegally… know one will
>know right? And those music industry folks make
>more than they need anyway and I don't make
>much, temptation's birth. Or maybe it's bringing
>home supplies from work and justifying it
>because you do think of work at home a lot and
>they got more than I have temptation's birth. Or
>maybe its that innocent flirting or joking with
>a co-worker or the neighbor and you are being
>tempted in your mind to follow through with
>something you ought not entertain even the idea
>of it. Whatever the temptation, this scripture
>applies to them as well as adversities.
>
>So back to the word of the day, that being
>count, or consider. Strong's defines it as:
>
>to lead, i.e. command (with official authority);
>figuratively, to deem, i.e. consider: KJV -
>account, (be) chief, count, esteem, governor,
>judge, have the rule over, suppose, think.
>
>Are you getting the implication here in not only
>the context but the majority of the meaning? It
>is saying "walk with your head slumped,
>shuffling your feet on the ground, kicking at
>it occasionally feeling like you can't do
>anything but try to look at the bright side",
>right? Oh. No? Hmmm. Well I guess you are right,
>it means "take the situation and be rule over
>it, don't feel you are subordinate to it just
>because if fell upon you or you fell in it". We
>walk outside many days in a year and find rain
>falling upon us. We don't just stay indoors, or
>walk out in it getting soaked to the bone. We
>find shelter, rain gear, umbrella or some sort
>of control over it despite it falling upon us.
>And, we can have that authoritative power over
>situations and temptations because we know God
>is with us, and will se us through it, and we
>can hold up a badge of courage like an officer
>of the law might when questioning a civilian.
>That gives him the right, the authority, and it
>gives the questionee, which in this case your
>trial or temptation, the feeling of
>subordination and you have the right and ability to take charge.
>
>We humans, if we look at it are pretty small
>beings. Roughly 200 pounds give or take some,
>five to six feet tall, in light of the world
>surrounding us, we are pretty much weaklings
>lifting 100 pounds maybe as a general weight,
>some more, some less but you get the idea. In
>light of the buildings, the trees, the rocks,
>the lakes the mountains, the ground beneath us
>and even planets above us along with the
>atmosphere they reside, we are grains of sand on
>the beach. An yet, we build the buildings, we
>tunnel the earth, we move trees, we shoot
>shuttles into space, we manipulate rivers and
>lakes and otherwise take charge of our
>surroundings, even though those things are much
>bigger than us. Imagine if we, even as man
>without the consideration of God, which is
>probably what many in our history have done,
>imagine if they hadn't considered themselves
>chief over their passion, or the challenge? We'd
>still be clubbing our food for dinner and
>roasting it over an open fire. Well? Actually
>would we? If we didn't feel a sense of ability
>to be authority over a buffalo, a 2500 pound
>beast capable of stomping you into the ground,
>would we even attempt to use it as food? No. So
>why then do we feel subordinate to some
>situations in life? Maybe we can't see them? Or
>they are objects like finances that is there but
>you can't just pick a stick up and beat it out
>of your life. But we can take chief authority
>over those things. That doesn't mean we will
>control the world economy, just like we can't
>control the rain that falls down, but we can get
>an umbrella, to use our gifts of wisdom,
>knowledge and understanding and courage through
>knowing God is for us if we are in love with him.
>
>So see how that one word, consider, is really
>take authority or, be chief over, just as much
>as it is, if not more so, to just contemplate
>and consider it joy. It's telling you to make
>joy the chief of your situations, authority. I'm
>sure you've heard the phrase… "If you think you
>can, you are right. If you think you can't, you
>are right". How we give perspective to things
>makes a difference in what we experience. And
>God makes it possible to have the authority in
>the first place because it is out of knowing he
>sees us through our trials, temptations,
>situations and dilemmas, gives us the right and
>instruction to allow joy to supersede adversity and temptations in this life.
>
>
>
>
>Brad
|
