Pearls before Swine

There's a popular comic strip with this title, and I often wonder if the people I know who like it and follow it even know that it's title is Biblical. I imagine if some of them knew, they might not even read it any more, due to their extreme distaste for the Bible, even though the comic itself is not Biblically based in it's content. So I don't mention that it's title is from a quote made by Jesus, because I like the irony of those who refuse to believe enjoying a comic under His very words of wisdom.

All of that aside, because it was just that... "a thought on the side". Yesterday, the real meaning of pearls before swine came up. I was playing my favorite game, essentially my only game: World of Warcraft. "Wow" for short. There are different ways you can chat in the game. You can send private messages (pm) with one person, get in a group and chat, chat in your guild (gchat), or chat in general. There's other ways, these are just a few examples that apply to this story.

In general chat, in the area of the map where I was located at the time, a heated conversation was going on between several people who probably didn't know each other very well, if at all... because that's how general chat tends to work. It's a place where people spout off on just about any subject. For that reason, I tend to give very little attention to general chat. I noticed there were comments being thrown around about how bad religious people are, and I saw one of my guildies, a character named Armaggedon, try to throw in a comment. Rather than jump in this "public" arena with him, I peeled him off with some of those pms (private messages ~ not P.M.S.) and asked if he believed in God. And then our conversation went on to just who this God was that he believed in...

As our conversation was coming to an end, I noticed another guildie, Furyian, had entered the wow arena of public debate. Furyian, who's real name is Dylan, and I prefer to use real names when I know them, was hot on the subject. He was defending the position that there is a God and that just because religious people do bad things in the name of God that does not make God bad. He was not getting anywhere with those who were ridiculing and heckling him. So I pm'd him and noted that sometimes you just can't throw your pearls before swine.

Jesus is quoted in Matthew 7:6 as saying "Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces." (New International Version)

I actually like the New King James usage of the word "swine" instead of "pigs". And today, in my dual translation Bible, I looked over at The Message version, and I actually don't like it as well as I usually do. "Don't be flip with the sacred. Banter and silliness give no honor to God. Don't reduce holy mysteries to slogans. In trying to be relevant, you're only being cute and inviting sacrilege."

While The Message does actually convict me in that I may be turning this verse into just a slogan "Pearls before Swine", I think it's about much more than being flip or silly with what is holy. I think it is actually about trying to bring to the public arena that which is holy and special. If a particular public arena is a place under the control of those who have no respect for God or don't believe in him, I don't care to try to bring God in and throw him out there for them to trample on... and because when I do... this is true: they turn and trample me.

So I pointed out to Dylan, the possible futility of what he was trying to argue, because they are swine who can't comprehend the value of his "pearls". Now I don't call them swine to degrade them. Not to open up the debate on whether it is right or wrong to eat pig here, but I happen to love bacon. I call them swine because that's their condition... their position... at this time. They can certainly come to a point where they can appreciate a fine pearl. However, when they do, it will be a life changing event, and they will no longer be swine. To be clear: I once was a swine myself.

Anyway, I point this out to Dylan, and then I sense God catching me in the midst of that thought, and I add, "However, maybe what you're arguing is getting the attention of someone who needs to hear it, so I don't mean to say don't do it... I just want to caution you because it may just be a case of casting your pearls before swine." I went on to tell him that if he was going to continue, I was feeling compelled to jump in and support him. Which I eventually did. An unknown person, Swampmoose, pm'd me saying essentially what I'd said to Dylan, though he left out that good slogan about "pearls before swine". I let him know that I was only in it because of Furyian, and that I thought it was good for Furyian to be fighting for his faith, even if it was a somewhat futile attempt as far as the opposition went.

After that, Dylan and I had a awesome chat about our Awesome God and his son Jesus. It's so good to have someone to share your pearls with. <3

I've got a contract pending on eternity

I've got a plan to lose it all. The words to Switchfoot's song come to me as I read Matthew 19:16~ "What good things must I do to get eternal life?" the rich young man asks. "Obey the commandments," Jesus says. (of course there's more to the conversation and I'm not meaning to take any of it away, so go read it for yourself! hehe) But next is the killer line... "Which ones?" the young man inquires.

Which ones?? Which ones?!?!?!

Talk about silly questions. How do you ask the Savior of the universe "which" commands you should obey? LoL! RoFl! But then I stop, and realize that I do this all the time. Actually, I don't even ask first. I simply pick and choose the ones I feel like obeying. Conviction all over again. God, you are good at it, that's for sure. And I'm so thankful for your Word working to alert me to these things; working to change me into the image of the One who died in my place so that I could live forever with you. You ARE beautiful!

Anyway, back to the original thought. Jesus gives the rich guy a short list. As if that could really cement his spot in eternity, when all it takes is childlike faith in the One who is speaking. "All these I have kept," he says... and yet he doesn't stop there. Many people would have stopped there, I think, to have received such a definitive list from the Lord. But not this guy... why? Why? Because he knows something is still missing. This is how God made us; with the keen sense, if we look deeply enough into ourselves, to know that something is still missing. "What do I still lack?" he asks.

And Jesus replies, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell all you have. Give it all away to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

Give it all away.

It used to be I couldn't fathom this concept. I wanted a house, a car, a computer, another computer, a big screen TV... But then a school teacher, Debbie Strickland, spoke at our church on how she had "simplified", getting rid of everything that she didn't really need, and how that had truly freed her. I've come to see these "things" I have as just anchors that keep me from being able to run after Jesus. Like those weights he talks about in Hebrews chapter 12. I can't just up and go anywhere to do anything. I need to get rid of all this "stuff" first!

And so... now... I'm making a plan... a plan to lose it all.

I <3 Nehemiah

I just finished a good book; the book of Nehemiah. It was fresh. I like Nehemiah's simple style of telling his story. I like his no nonsense approach to dealing with the people of God, and their enemies. I like his prayer in chapter one. It's one of those prayers you can take and make your own, just as relevant today as it was back then.

Nehemiah longs to go to Jerusalem, and when the king asks him why he's so down, in that moment he prays to God and answers the king. I wish I would pray to God just before I give critical answers to critical questions.

Nehemiah solves problems in a bold new way. When the Israelites are threatened and harrassed while rebuilding the Jerusalem wall, Nehemiah just has them work with a weapon in one hand the whole time. Sanballat and Tobiah are two of my favorite bad guys in the Old Testament, because they demonstrate just how dumb it is to be a bad guy in light of God's power. And Nehemiah doesn't fall for any of their ploys, not even the one that tempts him to run to the temple for protection. When those guys try to cause trouble, Nehemiah just sends them the message "Nothing like what you are saying is happening; you are just making it up out of your head." <-- NIV

Out of their heads they were! Out of their freakin' minds to be trying to mess with the Israelites under Nehemiah's inspiration, which was of course ultimately inspired by God.

There are several chapters made up of just a bunch of lists... but the significance of those lists is that they paint for us a picture of the people living in that time who worked day and night to repair the city of God and then they assembled togher "as one man" and stood and listened to the Law of Moses, and they realized, many for the first time hearing it, that they had an awesome God who loved them and had been looking out for them. And they worshipped Him... "the sound of rejoicing in Jerusalmen could be heard far away."

Having been to Jerusalem, I close my eyes and just visualize what it must have been like back in that day... to worship the God of the Universe from the spot on earth where He chose to make his home among His people.

less than three? you gotta know me

I wanted to name this blog, "heartdesires" but that was taken, along with several versions of Psalm 37:4. So then I tried <3desires, but "<" is an unacceptable character. Unacceptable?!?!? If only they knew how truly acceptable it is when coupled with a 3. Anyone who knows me, knows the <3 "heart" symbol. Since "<" wouldn't work, I opted for what my hubby says when he sees me use it:

"I less than 3 u"

And <3 has a hidden meaning, in that the 3 represents the triune God: Father, Son, & Spirit, and i am far "less than" HE!

I'd tried to start a blog before, but didn't go anywhere with it. That's because I let my life get too full of useless things, to take time to share the meaningful things with others. God is changing that...

Then today I read a blog started by my sweet friend Matt, and that along with all that my daughter writes in her blog, which inspire me... have prompted me to try again... this time focused on the most important subject in life... which is not my life, but rather the life that Christ is living in and through me.

I hope that it will begin to shine brighter than ever, though I must admit at this point: it has been glowing rather dully for awhile.