“Loud preaching and long preaching can never replace inspired preaching”, Jim Eliot (martyr), 1951

“When you pray, don’t ramble like heathens who think they’ll be heard if they talk a lot” (Matthew 7:7 God’s Word Translation©).

“The experts in Moses’ Teachings and the Pharisees teach with Moses’ authority. So be careful to do everything they tell you. But don’t follow their example, because they don’t practice what they preach” (Matthew 23:2-3 God’s Word Translation©).

It is Who we serve, not what we say, that makes the difference. If you take centre stage and leave Jesus in the wings all you are doing is putting on a show.

“But the Lord told Samuel, “Don’t look at his appearance or how tall he is, because I have rejected him. God does not see as humans see. Humans look at outward appearances, but the Lord looks into the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7 God’s Word Translation©).

People form opinions of other people within seconds. What people wear, colour of skin, weight, hair style, age, and (critically) whether they remind us of someone and whether we like, or dislike, that person we know.

Before we have really met them, interacted with them, or they had a chance to display their real self to us, we have judged them!

God does not see any of the things we use as a standard to judge; God looks at their real self deep in their heart and soul.

We would want a chance to be accepted before we are judged, but we do not offer that to others.

“Always do for other people everything you want them to do for you. That is [the meaning of] Moses’ Teachings and the Prophets” (Matthew 7:12 God’s Word Translation©).

Think about that.

A lot of Christians buy into the principle, “Stop judging”.

The powers of religion want members to believe that; otherwise the institution must surely be judged also.

But what the Bible says has a context. “Stop judging so that you will not be judged. Otherwise, you will be judged by the same standard you use to judge others. The standards you use for others will be applied to you” (Matthew 7:1-2 God’s Word©).

So, when you judge with love, fairness using a careful examination applied with humility following the process Jesus demanded (Matthew 18:15-17 God’s Word Translation©***), you are on sound ground, spiritually speaking.

Anything else comes from evil. And that should be judged.

***“If a believer does something wrong, go, confront him when the two of you are alone. If he listens to you, you have won back that believer. But if he does not listen, take one or two others with you so that every accusation may be verified by two or three witnesses. If he ignores these witnesses, tell it to the community of believers. If he also ignores the community, deal with him as you would a heathen or a tax collector” (God’s Word Translation©).

I suffer from the absence of discussion.

So many people hold their view, opinion, ideology as their highest priority. Too few want to grow their character, learn something new or connect to the vitality of another person’s experience.

Beware of all labels, but people who are politically right wing or left wing, spiritually fundamentalist or modernist, socially libertarian or authoritarian, define discussion as aggressively demanding agreement with their view and humiliating those who do not acquiesce.

Oh! for more people who do not hide behind personal ideology, but want to search for a better idea, indeed truth, even when it means re-examining their finite world.

I live on the open plain, yet when I encounter people like I am describing above they fill their moat, barricade their gates and fire volley after volley of fiery darts even though I carry the white flag of truce.

Thank you God for Your listening ear, gentle correction, and patience as I search for greater truth and framing my heart to accept people, all people, (even those with a closed mind!).

There’s something about spiders that I do not understand.

At several places around our house webs appear everyday, no matter how often we walk through them or deliberately remove them. Why don’t they give up after a week or so?

But that’s not what I’m wondering about. Some webs stretch across a gap of over two meters (over six feet for those non-metric folk).

That’s what I don’t understand. How do they know that across a vast space is another pillar or hedge or bush on which they can anchor the opposite side of their web?

Do they have super-eyesight? Do they just wander aimlessly until they find a place to hook on and then remember it once they find it?

The other thing is, how does such a tiny creature produce that much webbing, over and over?

“For we live by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7 God’s Word Translation©).