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Mike your comments about this passage, Deut 4,10-11,

"There should be no poor among you, for the LORD your God will greatly bless you in the land he is giving you as a special possession.... Give freely without begrudging it, and the LORD your God will bless you in everything you do. There will always be some among you who are poor. That is why I am commanding you to share your resources freely with the poor and with other Israelites in need,” is addressed by Jesus in the Parable of the Talents. There will always be poor amongst God’s people because of failure to appropriate the blessings God has given us, we go out and bury what God has blessed us with. Like the man who buried his talent, we accuse God of being mean and demanding of us things that don’t belong to Him despite the fact that He has given everything to us because He created all things.

I know this is true because I was one of those people who said I had nothing and none was giving me anything, which was why I didn’t have anything. Poverty is not the lack of material or mental resources because God has given each and every person the gifts and abilities to function in the Market Place. We have been told by “false prophets” that we either are no good, we won’t amount to anything, we are useless and those prophets can be our parents, guardians, teachers and ourselves. Then we chose to believe the prophets. That is what happened to me for the first thirty-five years of my life.

I have been off of the “boards” for several days because I went to join my son in Boston who was attending a conference sponsored by the National Society of Black Engineers. When my son was born I was warned by some and told outright by others, close family members that he wouldn’t amount to anything because I had severe complications while pregnant with him and he would be retarded. Small for his age, and he still is a small man in stature but not in heart, he was in musical theater from the age of eleven to the age of 17 right right up to his graduation from the “Fame” school, LaGuardia High School of Arts and Performing Arts. At seventeen he went into the Marines (that was a big shock to me) even though he had scholarship offers from schools he never applied to (Harvard; University of Texas which included a full scholarship, room and board included before he even put in an application). He went into the Marines and was tracked to become a Lance Corporal after Boot Camp because he scored two points short of a perfect score on the Armed Service (ASVAB-I think that’s the right acronym) although he weighed 15 pounds less than the minimum weight required (They gave him a weight waver).

After getting out of the Marines, he did four years, he began working for Disney, his first civilian job interview after his discharge) and two years latter he began college full time while continuing to work full time.

My son, the one who wouldn’t be anything, has been an inspiration to me and has taught me many lessons one being how to read the bible without the baggage of denominationalism. So those who love what I write about can thank my son and those who don’t like how I write, well, you can still thank my son.

Sorry I didn’t mean to follow after Mike and go off on a Tangent but Mike’s comments and the passage for today dovetailed nicely into what I’ve been thinking about ever sense I got back from Boston.

If this rant says anything to you please let it speak to you about not letting what others say about you determine your destiny. Allow the gifts, talents and abilities God has given you determine the paths preordained by God (Ephesians 2:10)

Grace and peace,
Ramona

48And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace. I pray at meal times and before I fall a sleep at night.

I appreciate your commentary on the tithe that you give to several agencies, including the local church but not solely the local church. The kingdom of God is not the local church, but the local church is part of the kingdom of God, and there are other expressions of the kingdom of God and body of Christ that require funding. Thanks Mike for offering balanced and not extreme one sided commentary.

In Deuteronomy 13 it says: "keep His commands and obey Him." I see this instruction alot as I read the Bible, but have trouble understanding it's practical application today. What, exactly, does it mean to "obey God" today? Thoughts?

Hi Jeff. Great question. For New Testament Christians, the church today, I believe obedience to God means to keep God's commands given in the Moral Law - the 10 Commandments - keep Jesus' commands in the Law of Love - Jesus' teachings. (Sermon on the Mount would be a great snapshot, Matthew chapters 5-7) Obedience to God today could be distilled down to the greatest commandment that Jesus taught in Matthew 22:36-40, which I've copied below. Of course, obedience to God is only possible once we've repented of our sins, surrendered our hearts and lives to Jesus, with faith in his saving life, death and resurrection. Then, through the Spirit of God living in us, can we obey. We can't obey on our own power or accord. Hope this helps! Let us obey God today by Loving God and Loving People! (see below) Blessings! Mike

"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." Matthew 22:36-40

This is a TEMPORARY farewell, I am in the process of moving, I will be off of ONE YEAR BIBLE regretably for at least a week, :( hopefully not to much longer then this, I will miss everyone on ONE YEAR BIBLE. Have a WONDERFUL remainder of HOLY week everyone.

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