Truth On The Web Ministries
E-CLIPZ -An E-zine For The Church Of God
Issue Date: 11/01/03
PART TWO OF TWO
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Sabbath Morning Companion        
 Date:10/31/2003 By:Lenny Cacchio - used by
permission

Me and Now

Saul, the first king of Israel, had a political problem. His nation was about
to be attacked, and the people expected someone to offer supplication and
sacrifice to the God of Israel.  Unlike the nations around them, the
king of Israel did not have absolute, despotic power.  Religious duties
resided with the prophets and priests, but the prophet had left the neighborhood
and hadn't yet returned.

If there is one sentence that describes King Saul, it would be, "It's all
about me, and it's all about now."  And because it was all about him
and all about now, Saul took it upon himself to sacrifice, playing a role
that was not his to play.

He had made a mistake, but he refused to own up to it.  "It's your fault,
prophet, because you weren't here (literally, "You did not come within the
appointed time").  The people were leaving ME, so I had to do it NOW
(literally, "When I saw that the people were scattered from me … I felt compelled
and offered a burnt offering")."  Read his words in I Samuel 13:1-2
and count the number of times he uses the first person pronoun, and you'll
get the real flavor of this "me and now" personality.

In the New Testament Jesus uses a term to refer to the scribes and Pharisees
of his day:  "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites." 

Hypocrite!  It's a word that comes from the Greek hupokrites, which
essentially means play-actor.  In the Greek theater, the hupocrites
wore a mask to cover his real identity and used his voice to mimic the character
he portrayed.   A hupocrites was a play-actor.  For public
consumption he appeared one way, but the real man was something else.

Saul was doing just that.  He played a role that belonged not to him. 
He was a hupocrites -- just like you and me.  Sometimes we play the
role of Christians.  We go to church, spiel the right buzzwords, nod
at the preacher's sermon, and throw an extra dollar in the collection
plate.  But inwardly we harbor dead men's bones of resentment, selfishness,
and impatience.  "It's all about me, and it's all about now."

The second king of Israel was a man after God's own heart.  King David
was terribly flawed human being.  He was a sinner, an adulterer and
a murderer.  He was such a bloody man that God would not let him build
the Temple, a task which was left to his son.

But there was one attribute of David that was above and beyond all his
peers.  That quality made him a special friend of God.  Though
a bloody man, David owned up to his problems, accepted responsibility, and
repented.  He refused to hide behind a mask and play the part of a man
of God on the outside of the platter while the inside was full of extortion
and violence.  When confronted with his sins, he fell on his face and
begged God for forgiveness.

One time, because of David's lack of judgement, the nation fell under a curse
.  David's response was classically David.  "Surely I have sinned,
and I have done wickedly, but these sheep, what have they done?  Let
your hand, I pray, be against me and my father's house"  (II Samuel
24:17).  

It wasn't about him and it wasn't about now.  Sinner he was, but hypocrite
he was not.   There was no mask with David, only transparency.
             Lenny
C.

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More Historical Happenings

October 30

0701 - John VI begins his reign as Catholic Pope

1270 - 8th & last crusade is launched

1534 - English Parliament passes Act of Supremacy, making King Henry VIII
head of the English church - a role formerly held by the Pope

1536 - Denmark adopted Lutheranism as its official state religion.

1768 - 1st Methodist church in US initiated (Wesley Chapel, NYC)

1902 - Pope Leo XIII published the apostolic letter "Vigilantiae," which
officially established the Pontifical Commission of Biblical Studies. Created
to 'safeguard' the authority of Scripture from outside secular criticism,
in 1904 the Commission was empowered to confer academic degrees.

1939 - USSR & Germany agree on partitioning Poland, Hitler deports Jews

1961 - UN unanimously elects U Thant acting UN Secretary General

October 31

0451 - At the 15th Session of the Council of Chalcedon, Canon 28 was adopted,
granting Constantinole a patriarchate extending over the civil dioceses of
Pontus, Asia, and Thrace.

0834 - Catholic Church announces 1st All Hallows Eve (Halloween) observed
to honor the dead 'saints'. The idea was to paint the ancient (Druidic) pagan
Samhain (Lord of the Dead) festival as 'christian' by worshipping dead people
the Catholic way instead.

1517 - Rev. Martin Luther posts 95 theses on the door of Wittenberg church,
starting the Protestant Reformation.

1541 - Michelangelo Buonarroti paints "Last Judgement" in Sistine Chapel

1982 - Pope John Paul II becomes 1st pontiff to visit Spain

1992 - Roman Catholic church rehabiltates (un-condemns) Galileo Galilei after
359 years. Galileo was tortured and imprisoned by the Holy Office (aka The
Inquisition) and was forced to recant his 'heretical views' that the earth
and planets revolved around Sun.

November 1

0079 - Pompei, a city of sexual immorality and lewdness, buried by Mt Vesuvius

0451 - The Council of Chalcedon (located in modern Turkey) adjourned. Begun
on Oct 8th, its 17 sessions were attended by over 500 bishops -- more than
participated in any other ancient Church council

1210 - King John of England begins imprisoning Jews

1512 - Italian Renaissance artist Michelangelo, 37, unveiled his
5,808_square_foot masterpiece, the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican.
He had been commissioned in 1508 by Pope Julius II to do a work depicting
the whole story of the Bible.

1537 - German reformer Martin Luther stated during one of his "Table Talks":
'There are many fluent preachers who speak at length but say nothing, who
have words without substance.'

1922 - Ottoman Empire abolished

1936 - Mussolini describes alliance between Italy & Germany as an "axis"

1950 - Pope Pius XII proclaimed the dogma of the Assumption of the Blessed
Virgin Mary. His Apostolic Constitution "Munificentissimus Deus" taught that,
at the end of her earthly life, Jesus' mother was taken, body and soul, into
heaven to be united with the risen Christ.

1993 - European Union comes into existence

--------------------------------

Catholic-Jewish Relations

Riccardo di Segni , the chief rabbi of Rome, praised Pope John Paul II saying:
"There has been no Pope in history who has fostered such good relations between
Judaism and the Catholic Church as John Paul II." In an interview with Catholic
news source ZENIT, Segni was asked in what way has John Paul II changed relations
with Judaism? Rabbi Segni lauded the Pontiff's ecumenism, saying: "In history,
there have been different problems in the Jewish-Christian dialogue, especially
prejudices in regard to Jews. For centuries we have had the perception that
it was a distrust nourished by ideologies and old practices. This type of
approach to Jewish differences has been dismantled by a series of actions
of John Paul II even more than his speeches. I am referring, in particular,
to the Pope's visit to the Synagogue of Rome and his visit to the Western
Wall in Jerusalem. John Paul II has removed the attitudes of contempt and
has established a relationship based on respect and reciprocal dignity."

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Did You Hear About ...

Do you carry tales? No, not tails - tales.

Jeremiah 6:27-28 I have set thee for a tower and a
fortress among my people, that thou mayest know and try their way. They are
all grievous revolters, walking with slanders: they are brass
and iron; they are all corrupters.

Like the slick-talking sales merchant of lore, most men are not "valiant
for the truth" [ref. Jer 9:2-6] but often speak goodly before men only to
think badly of them inwardly or speak so amongst others. The word of God
tells us to not bear tales. The law of God says:
Leviticus 19:16 Thou shalt not go up and down as a
talebearer among thy people: neither shalt thou stand against the blood of
thy neighbour: I am the LORD.

The word 'talebearer' means "slanderous talk or gossip." Talk to do another
harm and not good; more often than not, deceitful, as well. We can see how
the scripture characterizes what a talebearer is like by reviewing a few
words of wisdom from the book of Proverbs:

Proverbs 11:13 A talebearer revealeth
secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the
matter.

Proverbs 18:8; Proverbs 26:22 The words of a
talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts
of the belly.

Proverbs 26:20-21 Where no wood is, there the fire
goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth.
As coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire; so is a contentious
man to kindle strife.

Proverbs 20:19 He that goeth about as a talebearer
revealeth secrets: therefore meddle not with him that flattereth
with his lips.

So we see a talebearer is one who tells another's personal matters, who speaks
to anothers hurt, who causes strife or discord, and who sometimes speaks
flattering words. At least three (or maybe all 7) of the things that the
LORD despises are traits of a talebearer. Proverbs 6:16-19
These six things doth the LORD hate: yea,
seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying
tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth
wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false
witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among
brethren.

James 3:14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts,
glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not
from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife
is, there is confusion and every evil work.

As Paul wrote to Timothy about the young widows we, too, should be mindful
of our speech. 1 Timothy 5:13 And withal they learn
to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers
also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not.

We should seek to be pure as the Lord. To be holy in "all manner of conversation"
[ref- 1 Peter 1:15 & 2 Peter 3:11]. Psalms
34:13 Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.

Do not be deceived that goodly words alone makes a man holy for true holiness
begins in the heart. James 1:26 If any man among you
seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but
deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.

We all need to clean that inside of the cup - or as the potter might say
- the heart of these vessels. Your own words are on God's record!
Matthew 12:34-37 O generation of vipers, how can ye,
being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the
mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth
forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth
forth evil things. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall
speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy
words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be
condemned.

So, Brethren, what shall we do?

James 3:2-10 For in many things we offend all. If
any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle
the whole body. Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they
may obey us; and we turn about their whole body. Behold also the ships, which
though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned
about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth. Even
so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how
great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world
of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the
whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on
fire of hell. For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and
of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: But the
tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Therewith
bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made
after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and
cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.

James 3:13 Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge
among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with
meekness of wisdom.

One facet of the fruit of God's holy spirit is "self-control" - that includes
of the tongue! Add gentleness, kindness, meekness, peace and love and let
these things guide your heart, thoughts, actions, .... and speech!

Psalms 39:1 < David.>> I said, I will take heed to my
ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle,
while the wicked is before me.

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"Sabbath
Blessings"

Love to you all in Christ Jesus ~ Kenneth M. Hoeck

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