Freak-out Friday

June 26, 2009- For all you guys that have tough weekends coming up... The deadlines have to be met, the mortgage is due, the company is downsizing, or maybe you just need to let off a little steam. Whatever you do, don't do this.

Optimism

June 25, 2009- Ok, enough doom and gloom. Let's try this. You have 2 ways of seeing things. How do you see it?

Effect (Absalom)

June 21, 2009- There was definitely effect on king David when the incident between Amnon and Tamar happened, but that was not the only person effected. It also effected her brother(David's other son) Absalom. When Tamar was raped, her brother Absalom took her into his house to live. The shame was great upon her shoulders. Absalom brought her into his house to live. He then awaited patiently for David to react, and to punish Amnon in a major way. That is perfectly understandable. I would do the same. But that isn't how it went down. David didn't react. What? What's his problem? Why hasn't he already done something? So after two years of waiting and seeing no results, Absalom decides to take matters into his own hands. Amnon needs to be punished for his actions. He needs to suffer and our father has done nothing. Have you ever felt like Absalom? Have you been wronged, and it seems like THE FATHER has done nothing about it? So bitterness creeps in and we take charge of the situation ourselves. So in 2Samuel 13:23-33 Absalom gets Amnon drunk and has him killed. He felt he was justified in doing this, but his father had other thoughts on the matter. David, instead of rejoicing, was furious. So Absalom flees to Geshur. From there a division between father and son begins and it results in one of the most infamous rebellions of scripture, and we know that rebellion never ends well.

Effect (David)

June 17, 2009- OK, Monday I shared a story of tragedy about Tamar and Amnon out of the Bible in 2Samuel 13. This event had a huge impact on several people and I'd like to share some of my perspective on the effect. You have the cause(see June 15 post), now lets look at the effect, or is it?
One of the people effected by this incident is David, their father. What was David's reaction to the rape of his daughter by his son? After it happened Absalom took Tamar in to live with him. He hoped that his father David would take vengeance and punish Amnon, but that was not the case. Sure David was mad, but in light of everything that happened, here is what he did-Nothing! WHY? Whats up with that? How could you allow such a terrible tragedy to go without any repercussions?
I think the dilemma for David is the same for many of us. We avoid confrontation because of guilt we have. It is hard to check somebody for something you've done yourself. That was the case. You see David, in chapter 11, lusted after a woman taking a bath, got her pregnant, and then had her husband killed in battle. Wow. To have that still in your mind, and then be faced with an issue like the one with his daughter. Talk about guilt.
That is the reason many of us still don't confront the sin that goes on around us. Guilt!
Now lets look at how that effected others. While David was dealing with his personal guilt, others were fuming about the injustice done to their sister. Particularly Absalom.

Actions and Reactions... The incident

June 15, 2009- I probably shouldn't spend these next few posts on what I would consider a Bible study, but I think there are some very good examples of how an action causes a reaction,which causes another, and so forth. So for the next few posts I want to look at a story from 2 Samuel starting with chapter 13. It is about King David and some of the dysfunction that surrounds him.
King David was a great man of God, a key chosen ancestor of Jesus Christ, but David's family situation, particularly the headstrong and cutthroat-competitive behavior of his many children,and many around him, caused him much trouble and grief. One of the most despicable incidents of that was when Amnon found himself in a state of lustful infatuation with his young half-sister Tamar, and after she consistently rejected his advances, he brutally ravished her. Thereafter his "love" for her immediately turned to loathing and contempt, manifesting the very-common human trait of someone hating a person they have injured or wronged, a warped psychological maneuver in an attempt to soothe a guilty conscience. After David found out about it, although furious, he did nothing, except to keep it quiet, but Absalom did not allow Amnon's crime to go unpunished. He patiently bided his time, and when the opportunity for justice came, Absalom avenged his sister Tamar by having their elder brother Amnon killed.
So the first thing I want us to look at is...

Tamar and Amnon

The incident:

"Now Absalom, David's son, had a beautiful sister, whose name was Tamar; and after a time Amnon, David's son, loved her."

"And Amnon was so tormented that he made himself ill because of his sister Tamar; for she was a virgin, and it seemed impossible to Amnon to do anything to her."

"But Amnon had a friend, whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David's brother; and Jonadab was a very crafty man. And he said to him, "O son of the king, why are you so haggard morning after morning? Will you not tell me?"

"Amnon said to him, "I love Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister."

"Jonadab said to him, "Lie down on your bed, and pretend to be ill; and when your father comes to see you, say to him, 'Let my sister Tamar come and give me bread to eat, and prepare the food in my sight, that I may see it, and eat it from her hand.'"

"So Amnon lay down, and pretended to be ill; and when the king came to see him, Amnon said to the king, "Pray let my sister Tamar come and make a couple of cakes in my sight, that I may eat from her hand."

"Then David sent home to Tamar, saying, "Go to your brother Amnon's house, and prepare food for him." So Tamar went to her brother Amnon's house, where he was lying down. And she took dough, and kneaded it, and made cakes in his sight, and baked the cakes. And she took the pan and emptied it out before him, but he refused to eat. And Amnon said, "Send out every one from me." So every one went out from him."

"Then Amnon said to Tamar, "Bring the food into the chamber, that I may eat from your hand." And Tamar took the cakes she had made, and brought them into the chamber to Amnon her brother. But when she brought them near him to eat, he took hold of her, and said to her, "Come, lie with me, my sister."

"She answered him, "No, my brother, do not force me; for such a thing is not done in Israel; do not do this wanton folly. As for me, where could I carry my shame? And as for you, you would be as one of the wanton fools in Israel. Now therefore, I pray you, speak to the king; for he will not withhold me from you." But he would not listen to her; and being stronger than she, he forced her, and lay with her."

"Then Amnon hated her with very great hatred; so that the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her. And Amnon said to her, "Arise, be gone."

"But she said to him, "No, my brother; for this wrong in sending me away is greater than the other which you did to me." But he would not listen to her."

"He called the young man who served him and said, "Put this woman out of my presence, and bolt the door after her." Now she was wearing a long robe with sleeves; for thus were the virgin daughters of the king clad of old. So his servant put her out, and bolted the door after her. And Tamar put ashes on her head, and rent the long robe which she wore; and she laid her hand on her head, and went away, crying aloud as she went." (2 Samuel 13:1-19 RSV)

Think about this incident and how that would affect someone. Then I want us to look at some of the other people it affected.

David, Absalom, and a few others.

The Soup- Twitter Fever

Oh hush! You know you watch it too...

Ezra and fasting

June 9, 2009- Fasting is such a wonderful thing. As we make a decision to give up the things that we think we need, God begins to show us the things we truly need-HIM. In the book of Ezra chapter 8:21-23, Ezra proclaims a fast. In that, not only did he say he needed to go on a fast, but the people needed to as well. When we are in the midst of a move of God, people are part of that movement, and those people need to be unified and attentive to the voice of God through others. The cool thing is that in this fast Ezra was very specific about what they were to do and what they were asking God for.

1. That we might humble ourselves before God vs. 21b In the grand scheme of things, we really don't have much control. God does! So for the breakthrough He has for our lives, we must humble ourselves before Him.
2. To seek from Him a safe journey vs. 21c There are many things coming against our lives to steer us from the course set before us. This reference signifies both protection and deliverance. The amazing thing is how specific Ezra is...

• for ourselves
• for our children
• and for ALL our goods

You might not be the type of person who believes in fasting or even in God, but you are on a journey, and the protection and deliverance is available for all those who ask. Try it, and see if God doesn't show Himself mighty in your life and in your journey. It will be well worth the effort.

Invisible

June 8, 2009- Not many words today, but you have to check this out at invisiblepeople.tv

Get rid of the Excuses!

June 3, 2009- Reading earlier I ran upon some thoughts shared by Roger von Oech. Excuses really keep us from achieving greatness, so lets get rid of them...

What was the last good idea you had that you didn’t execute? What reasons did you have?

“I didn’t have time.”
“I couldn’t sell it.”
“I was afraid to fail.”
“I wasn’t committed.”
“I didn’t get support.”

These are all valid reasons. But valid or not, they’re the excuses that prevent you from getting your ideas into action.

Sometimes it takes more creativity to get rid of excuses than it does to come up with the idea in the first place.

For example, when the Spanish explorer Cortez landed at Veracruz, the first thing he did after unloading his equipment was to sink his ships.

Then he gave his men a pep talk. “Men,” he told them, “you can either fight or you can die.” Sinking his ships removed a third alternative: giving up and returning home.

— What three factors will make it difficult to reach your objective?

— How can you get rid of these excuses? — On what project can you “sink” your ships?

Who Are you?

June 2, 2009- Every one of us tries to stereotype the other people in the office or in our lives, but do we ever categorize ourselves? Take a look at the examples below and be honest. Which one are you?
(Images posted by Kathy)

Cussing Pastors

June 1, 2009- Here Pastor Ed Young shares some great thoughts on the language some ministers use and his feelings on that.