See ya', Corinth

I've had a heck of a few weeks (years) emotionally. Most writers have sense enough not to write when their emotions threaten to blow the cover off the cool facade they want to present to the public.  No publisher is paying me to be politically correct; no church elders are cautioning me to "Be careful, Jo. We must guard the purity of the church!"  (Isn't that a hoot? ...as if any human being can!).  I can't get fired because nobody hires or pays me. Paul was sensible enough to make tents for a living so he couldn't be controlled by people who thought they owned him because they paid him. ...but I do have a Governor that cools me down and His Name is Jesus.

 I look forward to Heaven for a lot of reasons, but one is: The war will be over! ...but Jesus has left me here to do somethin', and the "somethin" that twangs my twanger is studying and teaching his Word. ...but when we teach the Word and disciple, there are people involved and people spell dissension.  ...eventually. I have written to you recently about my two brothers, both now in Heaven and not negative any more. Blair and Bob opted to isolate from people and died as near-hermits. That possibility crosses my mind. Satan would love it if I put the Bible on the shelf, climbed the stairs to the family oak, sat down beside Ted's gravestone and watched the acorns fall off the tree for the rest of my life. 

Maybe I'll hide in the Psalms for awhile with David and those other guys and give vent to my emotions as they did. I've been studying and teaching Corinthians for months.  Paul was fed up with them and I'm kind of sick of them too. They had been given every spiritual gift by the Lord and were always mad at each other about something. In Chapter 3 Paul blurted out:  "I am completely frustrated by your unspiritual dealings with each other and with God. You're acting like infants in relation to Christ, capable of nothing much more than nursing at the breast." Now, there's  a picture".

...but Paul got hold of his emotions sometime between 55 A.D. when he wrote Corinthians and 61 A.D. when he wrote Philippians. Paul, just like us, was given permission to grow up and cool his jets.  He writes: Finally, ....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.

O.K., what are we going to think about today? Ted always said, "It's all in your attitude!"

What IS true? Jesus loves us and will never quit.
What IS noble? We are in a royal family, required to behave like royalty!
What IS right? Do the RIGHT thing when we don't feel like it.
What IS PURE? ...only Jesus, but we are becoming LIKE Him, as we pass these rugged tests.
What IS lovely? Jesus.
What IS admirable? ...righteous thinking and righteous behaviour.
What IS excellent? Jesus.
What IS praiseworthy? You'll figure it out if you're willing. So will I. 

                                            HYMN OF THE WEEK: MORE ABOUT JESUS

More about Jesus would I know, More of His grace to others show
More of His saving fullness see
More of His love who died for me.
MORE, MORE ABOUT JESUS; MORE MORE ABOUT JESUS
MORE OF HIS SAVING FULLNESS SEE
MORE OF HIS LOVE WHO DIED FOR ME

Love, Jo