Mental Musings

I have been reading a sci-fi book written in 1985 that includes a rather interesting section concerning socialized medicine. Bill had the socialist desease in the worst form; he thinks the world owes him a living. He told me sincerely--smugly!--that of course everyone was entitled to the best possible medical and hospital service--free of course, unlimited of course, and of course the government should pay for it. He couldn't understand the mathematical impossibility of what he was demanding...Bill honestly believes that anything he wants  must be possible...and should be free. The Cat Who Walks Through Walls  by Robert A, Heinlein [Note: I do not recommend this book because the author uses a lot of immorality to describe a future world] The author continued to discuss this by referring to the poem Road-Song of the Bandar-Log  by Rudyard Kipling: Here we sit in a branchy row, Thinking of beautiful things we know; Dreaming of deeds that we mean to do, All com...

Notes from our Bible study in Ephesians. Most of this information came from the Holmon Commentary and the NIV Discipleship Study Bible. Victory in Christ Ephesians Chapter 3 – Paul’s Prayer for Power “We cannot all argue, but we can all pray; we cannot all be leaders, but we can all be pleaders; we cannot all be mighty in rhetoric, but we can all be prevalent in prayer. I would sooner see you eloquent with God than with men.” Charles Hadden Spurgeon In a Nutshell Paul informs his readers that God has revealed a great mystery to him, namely that both Jews and Gentiles are united as one body. Paul was called to share this message and he prays for them that they might be strengthened with power from His Spirit in the inner man so that they could mature spiritually, be able to comprehend the magnitude of God’s love, and be filled with the fullness of God. Verse 1: Paul’s Prayer for Power Paul starts his prayer in verse one, but interrupts it for the next 12 verses so that he c...

When will parents grow up enough to know how to deal with peer pressure? I thought we were supposed to outgrow that before we started our families. However, the release of the new movie The Hunger Games has brought to light some of the real problems that we have in our culture: adults who still act like kids. The movie based on Suzanne Collins best selling book of the same name, includes some graphic details that are inappropriate for children. The entire premise of the story is that children are forced into a life and death situation for entertainment sake. Parents need to consider why it was rated PG-13 before allowing a preteen to watch the movie or even read the books. However, parents prefer to complain about the movie because it puts them in a position where they have to be the mean parent and tell their child that they cannot see it. One parent complained that if all of the children in her daughter’s fifth grade class see the movie over the weekend then “it will become an i...

I have struggled with putting into words my thoughts about the spiraling morality in our world and the current course of our country. As a Christian I believe that God wants me to reach out to others and help them to understand their need for Him. I also believe that God wants me to stand up for morality, not only in the lives of individuals, but also in our government and the plans we put in place for our future as a nation. However, as a student of God’s Word, I also know that God is in control and that He has a plan that sometimes does not make sense within the realm of my limited understanding. Let me explain. Since I was a young child I have heard people speculate on whether or not a certain leader of a religious cult or even a politician could be the anti-Christ. Christians have felt for a long time that the end is near and that feeling focuses their thoughts on the things John mentioned in his revelation from God. When I am asked if a certain leader could be the anti-Christ, ...

Spending Time With You (c) 2012 Steve Poole Early in the morning I arise and You are there Patiently awaiting me to come to You and share Unseen You walk beside me, I will never be alone Safely You will guide me to where ever I may roam Spending time with You, is what I long to do My heart is always full when I’m with You Spending time with You, every moment new Lord, help me learn to show my love to You The quiet that surrounds me speaks more loudly than the norm Knowing You are with me and will be there through the storm Helps me wake each morning, face each new day with a smile When I face the enemy, You’re with me every mile Spending time with You, is what I long to do My heart is always full when I’m with You Spending time with You, every moment new Lord, help me learn to grow my love for You Soon the noise of real life will come crashing down on me Life will try to steal the joy You woke me up to see Seal this thought within me, make it burn within my he...

Most of this information comes from the NIV Disciples Study Bible and the Holman Commentary. These are notes from my small groups bible study on Ephesians. Victory in Christ A Study in Ephesians Ephesians Chapter 2 – Our Spiritual Union with God What is an alien? What does it require for us to become citizens rather than aliens? In a Nutshell Paul tell the Ephesians that they were once spiritually alienated from God; but now, because of God’s grace, they have been spiritually united with Him. He tells the Gentiles that they were once spiritually alienated from Israel, but now they have been spiritually united with them into a living spiritual temple of God. Dwight l. Moody said, “I must die or get somebody to die for me. If the Bible doesn’t teach that, it doesn’t teach anything. And that is where the atonement of Jesus Christ comes in.” Our Spiritual Death Verses 1-3: God’s grace gives you life and unites you with Him and with people from whom you have been alienated. W...

In the past few weeks I have been asked by several people to wade into religious discussions on their blog or facebook walls. And there have been a few that I plunged into without an invitation. So I thought I would share some of what I do prior to wading in or plunging in. Ask that God will give me the right words as well as the right attitude. Most people are passionate about their beliefs, whether or not they are religious people, so we need God to moderate our passion to fit appropriately in each situation. I often use current language and explanations about what the scripture means rather than just direct quotes, but I throw in specifics as needed. Some people can quote scripture passages without any problem, but many people do not know the Bible well and do not understand it when we throw the verses into their face. God can help us to know when it is appropriate to give direct Biblical quotes and when the individuals need to hear more practical explanations instead...

While talking to a young man who recently moved back to our area, I was reminded of the many experiences that I have had hauling my stuff from one place to another. Here are a few: The first time I rented a U-haul was when I moved from Mississippi to Texas to attend seminary. I paid for a hitch to be attached to my car and then went to pick up a trailer from U-haul. After loading my stuff, I started to back out of our driveway and the axle on the trailer broke. I did not have that much stuff since I was moving into a dorm room. U-haul wanted us unload the trailer and they would send someone to pick it up for repairs and then return it the next day. My dad convinced them to bring a replacement with them and that they were going to unload and load the stuff into the new trailer. By the time this had happened it was after dinner, but I wanted to go ahead and leave because I knew I needed to get to seminary early to start looking for a job. I made it about half way and slept in a rest a...

We live a world of increasing immorality. What was once considered rude and inappropriate behavior in public is now encouraged and celebrated. What would have caused a person to die from embarrassment is now the thing that causes them to gain great recognition and achievement. Our world is messed up even though Christians have been trying to change the course of things since we woke from our slumber following the banning of prayer in schools and the crushing loss of Roe vs. Wade. So why does Christianity seem to be so ineffective in changing the moral fiber of society? Perhaps it is because we are approaching this from the wrong angle. Christian author and theologian C.S. Lewis has some great wisdom that he shared about just this topic: Hope is one of the theological virtues. This means that a continual looking forward to the eternal world is not (as some modern people think) a form of escapism or wishful thinking, but one of the things a Christian is meant to do. It does not mean...