9-8-2023 – A Word to the Wise – MORALE

Man can analyze the evil of the heart because it is of his own devising. He cannot replace it with good, because this is God’s, and He gives to whom he finds worthy. Those who believe in Him are the worthy.

Often, we look to others, or good circumstances to provide us with morale. However, morale is not a gift. It cannot be injected by people. It is earned by acquiring more personality assets and by learning to cope with our liabilities.

Confidence comes when we do battle and succeed. It comes when we accept the challenges of life instead of running away from them. It gains strength when we lick our wounds after a defeat and return to the fray. It goes down when we grow morbid and bathe in hostility and self-pity. It rises when we confront ourselves and accept our limitations and given potential, despite these limitations.

Morale built any other way by praise and circumstance is nothing but a pumped-up flat tire. There is no real strength of character within to hold it up. The world will not do it—and God will not let them. We must grow into it by living and being what God expects of us.

9-4-2023 – A Word to the Wise – WHEN MARRIED TO A FOOL

On occasion, I am in a counseling situation where the spouse is foolish. This presents a series of difficult problems. Knowing how and what to do and what not to do is imperative.

Note there is a difference between calling a person a fool and knowing they are one.

The type of fool we are going to focus on here is represented in Scripture by two very similar Hebrew words with similar characteristics.

The traits by which they may be identified: they reject truth, are complacent, prideful, mock others, and they will not listen.

It is this type I am addressing when I speak of fools in a marital relationship.

Scriptures which define them:

1. A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion. (Proverbs 18:2)

2. It’s an honor to keep aloof from strife, but every fool will be arguing. (Proverbs 20:3)

3. Fools give full vent to anger. (Proverbs 29:11)

In my experience, those who live in a marital relationship with one spouse having some or all of these traits- the other spouse often makes serious mistakes in how they interact with them.

The first mistake is in trying to reason with them. One is not able to reason with a person who will not listen. So, it is a violation of certain passages to try. My favorite passage addressing these situations comes from Proverbs 18:2: “A fool takes no pleasure in understanding…” Therefore, trying to correct a fool is self-injury waiting to happen. I have seen spouses do this very thing over and over. It is almost like the spouse gets into a cycle and is unable to get out of it. They attempt to correct the foolish spouse, and they get stomped on every time. The bottom line, we need to take Scripture seriously if we are going to try to gain the wisdom God intends for us to inherit by living out His Word.

In connection with this wisdom, comes the added recommendations found in Proverbs 20:3, “It’s an honor to keep aloof from strife, but every fool will be arguing.” The directions are clear -do not allow yourself to get involved or react to this type of behavior. I think one might take even further steps in dealing with these situations. In my opinion, one should not even accept gifts from foolish spouses. To do so, invites retribution, for if the foolish person behaves in this manner verbally, they most certainly will throw up to the other spouse any gift given past or present. So it’s wise to not accept gifts from them.

Additionally, it is not wise to take to heart any praise from a fool. If you do, I strongly suspect you will gag at some point on their words. When I say ‘do not take to heart’ I do not mean you need to say anything to them that reflects your rejection, just do not believe what they are saying. Do not depend on it, or take it at face value. Again we find in Proverbs 25: 19, “trust in a faithless man in time of trouble is like a bad tooth or a foot that slides.”

So how do you reply wisely to foolishness- whether it’s a spouse or, for that matter, anyone? I am so glad you asked me! First, one must know what the difference is between a wise reply and a foolish reply.

Here is a very simple test that works most of the time. If you say something to a person and with a prideful, dismissive attitude, they disagree, and argue, all the while justifying or defending themselves- then whatever you said was foolish. If, on the other hand, you say something to the other person, and they are speechless, then what you have said is wise. I have seen how practicing this works in many situations with my clients.

Next is a principle that Jesus refers to in the Sermon of the Mount, in Matthew 5:25. The first part of the verse says, “Agree with your enemy quickly”. For its practical use, know that the very best response to a person who curses you finds fault with you, or speaks against you is to agree with them. You need to recognize that you are not agreeing that they are right, only that you agree, that is what they think. You will be amazed at how quickly this puts an end to conflict.

I need to address one more serious problem, and that is when foolishness turns to violence. In past generations, women believed and, in many cases, were wrongly told by people in authority, that they were to allow themselves to be physically abused by their husbands. Any woman who believes this nonsense is, to put it bluntly, a fool. Not only does this belief harm her, but it is has devastating consequences for her children. Additionally, it allows the husband to continue sinning grievously before God.

In our society, to allow physical or emotional abuse is a direct violation of scripture! What Scripture? Romans 13:1ff “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore he who resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad.

How is that relevant? Virtually every state has laws against family violence. These laws are for our protection, and to violate them or refuse to report violence goes against Scripture. Thus, if you reject the Lord’s method of dealing with the abusive spouse, then the consequence is on you.

In summary:

DO NOT ACCEPT GIFTS FROM AN ANGRY SPOUSE

DO NOT ACCEPT PRAISE FROM AN ANGRY, ABUSIVE SPOUSE

DO NOT GIVE EXPECTING ANYTHING IN RETURN FROM THIS THIS SPOUSE.

9-2-2023 – A Word to the Wise – September 1, 2023

I was thinking earlier this evening, I wish I could live never sinning again, whether by thought, word or deed, sinless, would that not be wonderful? The immediate though that came to mind, the result, or consequence would be I would no longer need Jesus. I do not hate my sins now, rather hope in the saving power of my Lord to forgive and renew me.

8-27-2023 – A Word to the Wise – Satan’s lies.

Very early in life, usually about two or three Satan begins to plant seeds in the hearts of children, which then bear fruit throughout their life. They are very simple ideas based on the actions or behaviors of others. Examples of seeds might be one’s parents are not dependable based on failures to keep promises. Or both parents working dumping the child in a daycare center may result in the seed of abandonment. Sexual abuse by an authority figure results in rebellion towards authority. All of these seeds have simple beginnings, yet Satan carefully nourishes them with events in the child’s life that reinforce the original lesson.

Perhaps a father promises to take his child to the show. The child waits all day for his father to come home and fulfill his promise. Something happens at work, and he gets off late. He comes home and has forgotten his promise the child has not forgotten, and Satan merely says to the inner child, “I told you he could not be trusted.”

Jesus addresses this in His parable, the wheat and the tares. “Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. “The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’ 28” ‘An enemy did this,’ he replied. “The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ “‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time, I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’ “

One may glean from this passage an important direction for dealing with Satan’s lies.

Awareness of the lies is essential; they must be gathered up and marked for destruction. However, at this point in a child’s life, they are not rooted out because if they are, then the good plants can be destroyed as well. Now how is this possible how can the good be intertwined with the lie in such a manner that it is at risk?

In the example, the father may not even remember the event, in which case nothing can be done. However, knowing the adversary’s tactic, what will probably happen is the child will be prompted to remind the father. The father will justify, explain, and deny the promise, and the situation has now been worsened in the child’s spirit. The father could simply admit to his failure and ask for forgiveness, and the child would probably forgive but tend not to forget. The wise father could make a record of his failures, and later on in life, when the child is now a father himself, sit down with him and show him the list of failures, which would indicate to the child that those promises and failures were important to the father. Now the seeds could be completely removed, and forgiveness, mercy, and gratitude replacing bitterness and failure.

Examples; In my own life, very early in life, Satan told me that you could not depend on others. They would abandon you, reject you, or die on you. He reaffirmed this lie throughout my youth, and I accepted it as a reality that I never challenged.

When I married, the first year Satan told me a bald-faced lie; my wife he said would die before our twentieth anniversary. Based on the abandonment and deaths early in life, the lie was believable.

Obviously, this worked in my emotions and caused me to put emotional distance between us. After all, she was going to die. So, I never allowed her to get close because she would die. In our twenty-first year, the Lord prompted me with a question, “How long have you been married?” Twenty-one years Lord, you know that. “I thought Mary was supposed to die before you had been married twenty years. Immediately the lie was apparent, and immediately I could see the consequences of the lie.

Our sixtieth anniversary is coming up at the end of the year. When Satan lied to God and told him Job would fail, the only thing God said was to prove it!

8-18-2023 – A Word to the Wise – About Moses – Guardianship

Everything a righteous guardian does for the child is worthy of reward by the Lord, and be assured the Lord pays His debts. The responsibility of the guardian ends when the child is of age or leaves home. Thereafter the guardian may influence the child for good or bad until the end. But they are not responsible for the deeds of the child unless they specifically influenced an act or event, whether good or ill.

Our purpose is to investigate this unique relationship with Moses to better understand it from the Lord’s point of view. Guardianship from the Lord’s perspective is somewhat different than man, while in some respects they are similar, in others, they are much different.

Who is a guardian? Anyone who takes into their home or cares for a child not biologically theirs becomes a guardian. With that relationship are the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual responsibilities and blessings.

Let’s take a short look at the life of Moses prior to being called by the Lord. Moses finds himself in the hands of guardians.

If one remembers, Moses was placed on the river Nile at the age of 3 months to preserve his life. The Pharaoh had declared that all Hebrew males were to be killed at birth. Once placed on the Nile, Moses is discovered by divine design by an Egyptian Princess. According to Josephus, her name was Thermuthis.

What can be known as far as character may be seen in what immediately occurs. Thermuthis knows that it is a Hebrew child. She has no prejudice against the Hebrew but immediately sees the dire circumstances and rescues the child. Thermuthis is immediately faced with feeding the child. According to Josephus, a 1st-century Jewish historian she first tries to get Egyptian women to nurse Moses. When this fails, Moses’ sister steps in.

By design Moses’ sister, Miriam makes herself available to the princess. The circumstances by the Lord’s foreknowledge see that the birth mother will become the nurse. Not only this but further compassion of Thermuthis is seen in that she desires to pay for the services of the nurse rather than demand the services. At the same time, he makes clear that the child is now hers, not the mother’s.

Thermuthis then sets out to instill in Moses a basic standard of leadership and guides him in proper military training. According to Josephus, Thermuthis raises up a great military leader for Egypt.

Moses is given command of Pharaoh’s army after the Pharaoh experiences significant defeats by its southern enemies. Moses destroys the enemy and makes a great name for himself as a military leader, which is a prerequisite for becoming a future Pharaoh. Successes in this endeavor were due in part to Thermuthis overseeing Moses’ education and making him aware of his Hebrew heritage.

No doubt the influence of this princess might even be said to be ‘godly’ because she accepted the unacceptable and took her duties seriously. She used her own heritage and royalty to open doors for Moses that would lead to significant success in his first 40 years of life.

But her instructions did have weaknesses. Perhaps a strain of arrogance and pride on Moses’ part may be traced to how Thermuthis went about raising Moses. He most certainly felt entitled.

The scriptures tell us of Moses’ premeditated murder of an Egyptian supervisor. Elements making it premeditated are clearly seen in the details, including Moses making sure he is not seen and plans in detail the killing, perhaps even with malice. But the Lord sees.

The next day when confronted with his sin Moses is afraid. Why fear? Because he has broken a law of the Lord, set from the beginning ‘thou shall not murder. The Lord did not approve of Moses’ behavior, and while the crime deserved death, the Lord, even as with Cain, sentenced Moses to 40 years of servitude in the desert.

The guardian aspect of this story stands out for the researchers. Thermuthis influence plays a silent but important part in Moses’ upbringing. No one else could have achieved what she achieved. Any person of lesser stature would not have been able to save the child’s life. No one else could have presented Moses with the life opportunities, nor given him the skill to know how to approach Pharaoh later in life.

How did the Lord repay her kindness? The Lord gave her a heritage and blessed her with the only Egyptian firstborn to survive.

8-16-2023 – A Word to the Wise – There have been several requests for more police stories, so here is one.

July 13, 1985

It is 11:23 in the evening. Tony and I are looking for stolen vehicles, as usual. The prominently displayed fresh hot sheet already has numerous changes indicating those recovered and those just identified as stolen.

My habit is to shine a seven-cell mag light out the passenger window, point at the oncoming vehicle tag, and compare it with licenses on the hot sheet. It is amazing how quickly your mind memorizes tags. So, it is this evening, driving up on a 1981 Monte Carlo, we both recognized it as a possible stolen. I grabbed the microphone ‘341 rolling stolen.’ “Go ahead, 341.” 255LXH, it’s a 1981 Monte Carlo.’

‘Tony, it looks like there are two occupants.’ ‘Yea, I see them. Doc, you take the passenger, I will take the driver. Ok, ‘341, that is a confirmed stolen.’ 341 received start us some cover we are northbound on Lamar at Pine Street.’

‘342, we are close we will cover them. 341 to 342, we will wait a couple of minutes until you get closer to light them up. Richard and Eva in 342 are closing in quickly. ‘Tony, what do you want to bet they run?’ ‘I bet you’re right I do not even think he knows we are back here yet.’ About that time 342 passes us and pulls up beside the stolen vehicle, turning their spotlight on the subject. We immediately turn on our red lights.

You could see the startled expression on the driver’s face. A black male about 25 turned and looked at Richard and Eva in 342. He then checked his rearview mirror and saw us.

You could almost see him thinking about whether to run or not. He made his decision, and his vehicle started to accelerate. 342 pulled in front of us, and the chase is on. Windows up, air conditioning off.

‘341 and 342 in a chase. Northbound on Lamar from Grand Ave, a dark green Monte Carlo, 255LXH, occupied two times.’

The emergency signal over the radio cuts the air inside our squad. ‘All elements 341 and 342 are in chase Northbound on Lamar from Grand Ave. The vehicle is a 1981 tan Monte Carlo taken in a hijacking this morning. Suspects are considered armed and dangerous. 341 What is your location?’

By now, we are traveling 80 mph, and the suspect’s vehicle is swinging back and forth across the center line. ‘341, the suspect is turning right on Cadiz. 341, the suspect just ran the stoplight at Griffin.’ ‘Tony, look, he is entering the westbound entrance ramp of Interstate 30 we are going to be going the wrong way.’

342 is in the lead, and we are right behind them. We go onto I-30 in the wrong direction of travel against traffic. Looking up, we see the headlights of 4 lanes of approaching traffic about a quarter mile away. Suddenly the suspect sees that he is going in the wrong direction and makes a quick U-turn, and heads back westbound.

342 cannot make the turn and skids out of control. Tony, who is an excellent driver, makes the turn, and we are back in the lead. ‘341, we are now Southbound on R.L. Thornton.’ We start to catch up, and the suspect begins to weave between cars forcing some off the road. Suddenly, he crosses three lanes of traffic, driving between two other vehicles forcing one into the left guard rail and exiting onto Houston Street Viaduct Street. The exit ramp goes downhill and veers to the left. There is a deep dip at the bottom of the ramp, and the suspect hits it hard and blows his left front tire.

‘341 the suspect just blew his left front tire’, this will be over in a moment. But over it is not. ‘341 The suspect just turned left onto Zang Blvd. ‘341, we and now on a divided four-lane street, and the suspect is driving in the wrong lane southbound.’ Tire rubber and sparks are flying everywhere. The oncoming traffic is trying to get out of the way. Fortunately, traffic is light.

‘341, we are passing the 1400 block of Zang.’ The suspect’s speed increases, and now we are back to 80 MPH. ‘341, we are crossing Illinois Ave.’ Somehow, we have lost 342, and there are no other elements around. ‘341 is the helicopter up?’ ‘1516, we are coming up on your location now’. Suddenly the suspect jumps the curb and starts down a grass embankment leading back onto R.L. Thornton, right where it intersects with 6 lanes of traffic going each way. The suspect never makes it. Stopping, the driver exits and runs towards the freeway.

Tony comes to a halt right behind the suspect vehicle, jumps out, and goes after the driver, who reaches the freeway. I jump out, run to the passenger door, jerk it open, grab the suspect by the collar throw him to the ground with my knee in his back. I handcuff the suspect after a short struggle. Several additional squads pull up.

I then put out a call. ‘341, ‘my partner is on the ground running northbound on the freeway.

‘All elements, we have an officer on the ground running north on the freeway chasing a suspect.’

‘341 to partner.’ I repeat several times, and then Tony comes on the air. ‘341 to partner I have the suspect on Hasley, send an element over here. Doc, I lost my backup weapon when I jumped the barrier on the freeway. See if you can find it.’

I go down to the freeway. I am amazed there are six lanes of busy traffic going in both directions. I will never know how he made it across. I cross to the center lanes and see his weapon on the ground. ‘341 to partner I found it meets you back at the squad car.’ The chase is over at 11:45. The suspects are wanted for a series of armed robberies. They go to jail. It is 4: a.m. before we finish the paperwork.

8-12-2023 – A Word to the Wise – On Deut 14:21 for the last time. Nearly every translation agrees with you, ‘boiling in mother’s milk’. The trouble is it makes no sense. It would take a huge amount of milk to boil the animal in it. I challenge anyone to find in ancient times when this was done.

However, if you take the warning to mean not to take the lamb from its mother while it is still nursing, that is a different matter altogether. That has to do with the feeling of loss the mother experiences. Now the question is does the Hebrew text allow such a translation. Yes, it does because the preceding B on this word is called an inseparable preposition. It can be translated in, at with by. or against. It is used this way 15, 559 in the Hebrew text.

The same word is used in the alternate passages. So, if you want to worry about boiling a lamb in the milk, then worry yourself to death. However, if you want to consider if it’s pleasing to the Lord to take nursing babies from its mother, you choose which you may be tempted to do.

8-11-2023 – A Word to the Wise – Just a textual note on Deuteronomy 14:21. The RSV reads, “You shall not boil a kid its mothers’ milk” I could not understand why the text said that. Reading the text more closely in Hebrew offers a far better explanation. Try reading, “you shall not eat a kid while it is still on its mother’s milk. Makes all the difference.

7-28-2023 – A Word to the Wise – For your consideration:

Often these days, I find myself reviewing passages that once enthralled me, others that are of great interest, and on occasion, those that puzzle me. Today and for the last several days, my attention has been drawn to one of the latter.

Mark 1: 40ff has always puzzled me. Years ago, I heard it referred to as a paradoxical passage, whereas on the one hand, Jesus told a person he healed not to talk about it at the same time, knowing that he would.

Lately, I have wondered if that were the case. Here is the passage:

“And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, “If you will, you can make me clean.” Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.” And immediately, the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. And Jesus sternly charged him and sent him away at once, and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone ….

It seems much more is going on here. So, first I researched available commentaries and discovered none wanted to address the passage. In fact, most avoided it. So I returned to the original.

Going back to the original Greek, I noticed some things not evident in the translations. In fact, one of the things that strikes me about this passage in translation is the lack of any real emotion, something not missed in Greek. We will return to this theme momentarily.

This section leads one to believe that what is occurring is being actually observed. It probably comes from the memory of Peter, who is present and tells in vivid detail the matter to Mark. The other two gospels tend to summarize the event.

Jesus is in Galilee, and the evening before healed all sorts of seriously ill people. Then he goes to bed. Early, very early the next morning, he goes out alone to pray. After some time, Peter and the others hunting for him find him. Jesus tells them it is time to be leaving.

Now I suspect this leper had waited all night. He could not have come close because of the crowds of people the evening before and thus, he stayed at a distance because of the leprosery.

The man must have considered it all night. He had watched the house, saw Jesus leave early in the morning, followed at a distance, and observed him but not wishing to interrupt Jesus’ prayers. Desperate as he was for healing, he did not want to interrupt the Master.

Seeing the disciples approaching the next morning, the man knew it was time. So coming, he falls on his face and worshipped Jesus. No other has worshipped Jesus before this time.

Now comes the unusual descriptions left out by Matthew and Luke, yet demand our attention.

In the original language, Mark first says that Jesus is becoming angry. We do not know why Jesus is angry, nor does Mark tell us. The leper asks to be healed. Then Jesus grabs the man, remember this person is a leper, something one just does not do, and holding him, saying he will heal him.

Both of these terms, anger and grabbing the man, infer intense emotion.

But it gets even more intense. Jesus, Mark using the strong term indignation, demands that he say nothing, and then ‘drives’ the man away.

Amazing, our translations leave out all of this emotion. So, I leave it to you to ponder Jesus’, anger, grabbing the man, not touching him, then with intense feeling telling him not to speak of the matter, finally driving him away.

7-17-2023 – A Word to the Wise – My Personal Psalm 136 (amended)

O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,

for his steadfast love endures forever.

O give thanks to the God of gods,

for his steadfast love endures forever.

O give thanks to the Lord of lords,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

to him who alone rescued me at birth,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

to him who by understanding became my Father,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

to him who caused me to graduate with honor

for his steadfast love endures forever;

to him who rescued me from bondage,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

It is he who prolonged my life,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

and gave me honorable children,

for his steadfast love endures forever;.

O give thanks to the God of heaven,

for his steadfast love endures forever.