growth in trōth...

commitment and capacities - the both.

---

Well, when I got that COVID 19 thing.

I had to isolate, not go to work.

I felt worn out; and waiting till they'd ring

to say I could then leave my house. Berserk!

I didn't like the "exercise" that time,

and many other things have come along

producing feelings that seemed like they rhymed

with that old chaffe, a mindset without song.

This song's for me to sing when they occur,

to help me wrestle-ing with my de-sires,

to pin them down, and master them before

they master me*. Oh God you are much high'r

so that I can cry out for needed help,

and you will know, the way for me to grow

from being just a GOD-cub, your own whelp,

conceived in your own womb-world, doomed to show

creation, your great wisdom, love, respect.

So I will not ignore, or just put up

with difficulties you allow, for heck

today, tonight, I might just grow on up

enough to really trust creative love,

and get some back-bone of my very own.

I'll look for chances that come from above,

to do some exercise, and get some tone.

Then go again, to build capacities,

no tantrums, or demands, but "If you please!" -

for manners' sake, because I know that he's

determined to help me grow up. He sees!

---

When all kinds of trials and temptations crowd into your lives my brothers, don’t resent them as intruders, but welcome them as friends! Realise that they come to test your faith and to produce in you the quality of endurance. But let the process go on until that endurance is fully developed, and you will find you have become men of mature character with the right sort of independence. And if, in the process, any of you does not know how to meet any particular problem he has only to ask God—who gives generously to all men without making them feel foolish or guilty—and he may be quite sure that the necessary wisdom will be given him. But he must ask in sincere faith without secret doubts as to whether he really wants God’s help or not. The man who trusts God, but with inward reservations, is like a wave of the sea, carried forward by the wind one moment and driven back the next. That sort of man cannot hope to receive anything from God, and the life of a man of divided loyalty will reveal instability at every turn. 

James 1:2-8 J.B. Phillips, New Testament In Modern English & Greek,  

and other English versions, and yet other English versions, and parsed Greek)

---

Think any trial, difficulty, hardship, temptation, unexpected visitor that may mean a change of plans, something that might mess up my expectations or hopes, something that was not in line with my current  desires.. 

• Welcome … the above, because I know I am putting myself under the leadership of a will that is wiser than my desires, & I am being grown by creative love, in ways that will

• exercise my faith, which

• produces the quality of endurance.

• (let this process continue, when it's finished & fully developed, and I will find I have become) 

• a man of mature character 

• with the right sort of independence & stability 

• (And if, in the process, any of you does not know how to meet any particular problem he has only to ask God—who gives generously to all men without making them feel foolish or guilty—and he may be quite sure that the necessary wisdom will be given him. But he must ask in sincere faith without secret doubts as to whether he really wants God’s help or not. The man who trusts God, but with inward reservations, is like a wave of the sea, carried forward by the wind one moment and driven back the next. That sort of man cannot hope to receive anything from God, and the life of a man of divided loyalty will reveal instability at every turn.)

---

* Then the Lord said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.’  Gen. 4:6‭-‬7 NIVUK

° For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. Romans 8:19‭-‬25 NIVUK

---

Audio acapella

---

suffering (and trials) grows maturity..

---

Still very im-mat-u-re. So I hope

1 Peter 4 verse 2, remains still true:

"Since suffering in body, saw him cope,

and Christ called us to take our cross up too,

we'll arm ourselves with his same attitude, 

not running from, but suff'ring as he did,

so in the body sin has not just chewed

its way throughout this life, by staying hid.

As a result, we will not live our lives

just for our own desires, but rather for

the will of God, whose peace means that life thrives."

1 Peter 4:verse 1 & 2 - & more.

---

"Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body has finished with sin. As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God."

1 Peter 4:1‭-‬2 NIVUK and (Greek & other versions)

---

Not COVID over!

---

---

I had a few dry coughs last night, & then 

a few more in the car, this morning's  trip.

I had a PCR this arvo, when

tonight's results were POSITIVE I slipped,

not fully, just abandoned feelings which

are common in us humans I suppose.

And part of growing up's the battle pitch

which learns to own one's own feelings, all those

that shine their lights in dashboards when we move,

and do what must be done to check them out,

but if they're faulty, be one of those who've

gone clear against their dashboard lights about

this very thing, not everything - as though

our intuitions, feelings, are not worth

a thing. They surely are helpful, we know.

But any part of our make-up on Earth

can sometimes be mistaken, or get sick.

And sometimes isolation can help out.

Creative love might seem to have gone quick

but I won't just believe that, I've got doubts! 

Some quite important causes in the world 

can still elude our senses it is true,

yet still effective, presently they've hurled

things round about, or up & down, or chewed

things out. Examples are - an embro

has never seen the face of Mum or Dad,

Our own brains we assume, use on the go,

though haven't seen at all. We could be "had".

Then friendship, jealousy, vengeance, hatred;

all though invisible, can change the face

of things on Earth, why could not that be said

for the creative love which made all space-

es where each part of ecosystems ARE

and work together in this Universe,

where great adventure, choices can occur?

In fact that makes most sense! It's not perverse!

---

---

Got a few dry coughs last night, then more on a car trip this morning. PCR this arvo says I'm RSV negative, and Flue negative. But COVID 19 POSITIVE.

RATS!

Just working out who else in the household might have it, and where I can be isolated...

---

Creative love might seem to have left, but I don't believe that for one second!

Apparently, some of the most important causal elements in the world can be, for various reasons, invisible to people at any  given time, but can still be present, effective, and affective e.g. 

• Parents to a human being en utero.

• Our own brains (before scans were developed)

• Friendship,  jealousy …

• Hatred, vengeance …

• Unconditional positive regard

• Civic duty

• Treason etc.

Why not the same for creative love within a Universe where adventure, and choice can occur as well? In fact that makes the most sense to me!

---

a blessing..

---

May God, the fount & source of hope himself, 

fill you with more of joy and peace by means 

of trust in him, the source of thriving health

so that your hope tree keeps on growing beans.

The pow-er of the spirit of bright truth,

that's holiness, determined to be real,

grows hope because where he hangs round as sleuth,

builds confidence and then creative zeal.

---

Audio song, acapella (with a COVID cold)

---

a blessing -

(Romans 15:13)

"ὁ δὲ θεὸς τῆς ἐλπίδος πληρώσαι ὑμᾶς πάσης χαρᾶς καὶ εἰρήνης ἐν τῷ πιστεύειν, εἰς τὸ περισσεύειν ὑμᾶς ἐν τῇ ἐλπίδι ἐν δυνάμει πνεύματος ἁγίου." ΠΡΟΣ ΡΩΜΑΙΟΥΣ 15:13 SBLG

---

May God, the source of hope, fill you with all joy and peace by means of your faith in him, so that your hope will continue to grow by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Romans 15:13 GNTD

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Rom 15:13 NRSV-CI

May the God of green hope fill you up with joy, fill you up with peace, so that your believing lives, filled with the life-giving energy of the Holy Spirit, will brim over with hope! * * *

Romans 15:13 MSG

---

judge what Judge meant? …

judge what Judge meant? … (draft 10)

---

So let us therefore no longer be those

who pass judgment on people whom God made.

For who appointed me the judge suppose?

If Jesus didn't try to judge, and bade

his followers to leave no stumbling block

before his "little ones", his brothers small,

but build up each good practice, be a chock

that others may stand on, and so grow tall.

And if you somehow injure your sibling, 

by what you do or say, is that Christ's love?

If you made judgment without ev'rything,

all knowledge and all wisdom from above

would that be like the Christ who stopped himself

from judging, 'til appointed openly?

Who gave his time and energies and health,

the pow'r of God, to who would come and see?

Act then, in such a way that you won't give

what you know as good-ways-for-you-to-live,

the kind of airplay in another's mind

that will be seen as evil when "divined".

The reign of God is focussed not on acts,

for right relating's locus there in fact:

It uses acts (in their contexts), to aid

ability to see, [for when things move

with action (as one sees through what is made

in strips, like paling fence), then front yards prove

quite visible, by adding movement to 

the scene] the spirit in which they are done:

Is this the stuff creative love would do?

which woos with hope, and keeps its word when spun?

Thriving relationships, joy in our lives,

from spirit of Jesus/ spirit of Christ.

And one who thus serves Christ, the scripture says,

is so acceptable to God, their prayers,

and acts that come from trusting God; who dares

wins common folk's approval. But Bewares!

So let us then pursue what builds and thrives

our ecosystems, garden plots, our lives,

all seen as his good fam'ly that he grows

that we would gladly share, so that he knows

us each, but then together as a group.

The faith each has must grow as God would stoop 

and give us clear conviction to live out -

within this world, of God's. e need not pout

for he would bless all those who've known no reas-

on to be so condemned b'coz of what 

they look like to what humans in their seas-

on, would look on & see through them to God.

But those who doubt about something, yet do

it anyway, as though conscience was not

a way to grow up, understanding who

we're meant to be (by who is really GOD!)

will be condemned themselves by their own doubt-

ful actions, just because they did not act 

from faith and learn from GOD how to live out

creative love's own will. (That's SIN, in fact!)

---

‘Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way as you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Matt. 7:1‭-‬2 NIVUK

For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned."  Jesus of Nazareth (Matt. 12:37 NIVUK)

Jesus's three parables (Mt 25:1‭-46 NRSV-CI) about service &  judgement of humanity under God; the 

• Ten bridesmaids (known & unknown);

• the stewards to whom he entrusted his property; (wholehearted, consistent, service on behalf of the rule of the king, leads to an entering into joy; otherwise regret)

• The judgement method of the good shepherd, the true ruler of humanity: people who have fleshed out the spirit of the kingdom of God in their actions (sheep), "And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’... and those who haven't (goats)... Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”  Mt 25:40‭, ‬45‭-‬46 NRSV-CI

And he said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear; the measure you give will be the measure you get, and still more will be given you. For to those who have, more will be given; and from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.” Mk 4:24‭-‬25 NRSV-CI

“If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea. If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life maimed than to have two hands and to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and to be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and to be thrown into hell, where their worm never dies, and the fire is never quenched. “For everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good; but if salt has lost its saltiness, how can you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”  Mk 9:42‭-‬43‭, ‬45‭, ‬47‭-‬50 NRSV-CI

‘Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.’ He also told them this parable: ‘Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into a pit? The student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher. ‘Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, “Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,” when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. ‘No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognised by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thorn-bushes, or grapes from briers. A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. ‘Why do you call me, “Lord, Lord,” and do not do what I say? As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When the flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.’ Luke 6:37‭-‬49 NIVUK

Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” But he said to him, “Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?” And he said to them, “Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one's life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.” Then he told them a parable: “The land of a rich man produced abundantly. And he thought to himself, ‘What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?’ Then he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “‘Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.” ’ But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God.” Lk 12:13‭-‬21 NRSV-CI

Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples;  Jn 8:31 NRSV-CI

By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” Jn 13:35 NRSV-CI

Let us therefore no longer pass judgment on one another, but resolve instead never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of another. … If your brother or sister is being injured by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. Do not let what you eat cause the ruin of one for whom Christ died. So do not let your good be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. The one who thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and has human approval. Let us then pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. … The faith that you have, have as your own conviction before God. Blessed are those who have no reason to condemn themselves because of what they approve. But those who have doubts are condemned if they eat, because they do not act from faith; for whatever does not proceed from faith is sin. Rom 14:13,15‭-‬19‭, ‬22‭-‬23 NRSV-CI  etc…//

When any of my servants complained against me, I would listen and treat them fairly. If I did not, how could I then face God? What could I say when God came to judge me? The same God who created me created my servants also. Job 31:13‭-‬15 GNTD

… I am referring to the other person’s conscience, not yours. For why is my freedom being judged by another’s conscience? 1 Cor. 10:29 NIVUK //

  … I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. 1 Cor. 4:3 NIVUK

---