1 Corinthians 16 ¹³Keep your eyes open, hold tight to your convictions, give it all you've got, be resolute, ¹⁴and love without stopping. (The Message)

The whole 1 Cor 16 chapter seems very pragmatic, some logistic advice, travel plans, some thanks for help given, references for others travelling, requests for a favor, and some final greetings. It's a very casual chapter, not officious or theological.

But in the middle, in the midst of the pragmatism: clear-headed, terse, non-religious, spiritual advice. It's like a breath of fresh air in the midst of my "devotions". It has a very action-oriented feel.

So lets get to it!
- posted by Jor @ 11:08 AM -

 
Judges 4:9 [Deborah said, ]“With an attitude like that, there’ll be no glory in it for you. God will use a woman’s hand to take care of Sisera. (The Message)

So there is personal glory to be had in serving the Lord? And Barak's attitude (dependence on Deborah) seems to disqualify Barak from this glory. Deborah seems to mean this as a rebuke for Barak, but I was always taught to give all the glory to God. Perhaps we may do glorious deeds in the worldly sense of doing a notable act. If you win a Olympic medal—for God—you are still given glory from the world: press coverage, commercial endorsements, etc. Deborah seems to think personal glory is a fine motivation. I don’t think she was praising Barak’s sacrifice of his glory. By indicating that a woman would kill Sisera, she seems to be saying that the woman will get some legitimate, desirable, personal glory.

I guess at this point in history, slaying an enemy of Israel is a good deed, a Kingdom of God Act. The point of Deborah’s rebuke was that he didn’t have faith to go by himself; he needed Deborah’s moral support. He relied on Deborah, not Deborah’s God, the God of Israel.

The song of Deborah and Barak in Judges 5 extolls the virtues of showing up for God. Some tribes rallied to God's banner, others went about their own business. Barak and Deborah and Jael, the woman who killed Sisera with a tent peg, do get personal glory. They did what they were made for, serving God, with all the human virtues they could bring to it. When submitted to God, even a desire for glory can be redeemed, sanctified and be of service to God. And God gets the glory for being God of these heroes, and recognized as the one who gives the victory.

So what are the Kingdom of God Acts that we can get glory for today?
Where am I relying on someone else’s relationship with God? Where should I be nurturing my own relationship with God in order to accomplish the Kingdom of God things that are mine to do?
- posted by Jor @ 9:53 AM -

 
This is the main reason why I'm not working in international adoptions anymore. I have been looking for something that explains it concisely, and I finally found it.

Please pray that Russia opens up its process quickly.
- posted by Jor @ 12:11 AM -