Wisdom 7:22-8:1

There is in her a spirit that is intelligent, holy,
unique, manifold, subtle,
mobile, clear, unpolluted,
distinct, invulnerable, loving the good, keen,
irresistible,beneficent, humane,
steadfast, sure, free from anxiety,
all-powerful, overseeing all,
and penetrating through all spirits
that are intelligent, pure, and altogether subtle.

For wisdom is more mobile than any motion;
because of her pureness she pervades and penetrates all things.

For she is a breath of the power of God,
and a pure emanation of the glory of the Almighty;
therefore nothing defiled gains entrance into her.

For she is a reflection of eternal light,
a spotless mirror of the working of God,
and an image of his goodness.

Although she is but one, she can do all things,
and while remaining in herself, she renews all things;
in every generation she passes into holy souls
and makes them friends of God, and prophets;
for God loves nothing so much as the person who lives with wisdom.

She is more beautiful than the sun,
and excels every constellation of the stars.
Compared with the light she is found to be superior,
for it is succeeded by the night,
but against wisdom evil does not prevail.


JPR: worth the keepnig.

A bishop is?

Timothy 3:1-7

1^* This saying is trustworthy:^* whoever aspires to the office of bishop desires a noble task.2Therefore, a bishop must be irreproachable, married only once, temperate, self-controlled, decent, hospitable, able to teach,3not a drunkard, not aggressive, but gentle, not contentious, not a lover of money.^b4He must manage his own household well, keeping his children under control with perfect dignity;5for if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how can he take care of the church of God?6He should not be a recent convert, so that he may not become conceited and thus incur the devil’s punishment.^*7He must also have a good reputation among outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, the devil’s trap.^c

Mathew 25 :34-36

34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

Mother Theresa of Calcutta was asked...what is the one thing God will hold us accountable for at the last judgement? The above was her answer.

a wife according to scripture

When one finds a worthy wife,
her value is far beyond pearls.
Her husband, entrusting his heart to her,
has an unfailing prize.
She brings him good, and not evil,
all the days of her life.
....


jpr: We have been collecting names of such ladies. No postings as yet?!

worry...nah

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear.
...
Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they? Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span? Why are you anxious about clothes? Learn from the way the wild flowers grow. They do not work or spin. But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them.
...
Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil.”

~scripture

try it

"When one begins with joy in the morning the day becomes a feast."
~~Scripture

Some attributes of a good wife

That she be of a beautiful soul, Eph 3:16
That she be not contentious, but with a mild and humble character, not given to arguing, That she loves not the things of this world, 1Jo 2:15
That she has a good sense of humor, Pro 15:15


jpr: Not unreasonable!

friendship

" Faithful friends are a sturdy shelter:
whoever finds one has found a treasure.
Faithful friends are beyond price;
no amount can balance their worth. "

~ scripture

unusual facts

Baby robins eat 14 feet of earthworms every day.

Bats always turn left when exiting a cave.

ask, then ask again

“And I tell you, ask and you will receive;
seek and you will find;
knock and the door will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks, receives;
and the one who seeks, finds;
and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened."

scripture

some practical advice

 Do not give yourself over to sorrow, and do not distress yourself deliberately. 
 A joyful heart is life itself, and rejoicing lengthens one's life span.
 Indulge yourself and take comfort, and remove sorrow far from you, for sorrow has destroyed many, and no advantage ever comes from it. 
 Jealousy and anger shorten life, and anxiety brings on premature old age. 
Those who are cheerful and merry at table will benefit from their food.

jpr: The Book of Sirach of the Old Testament is, believe it or not, a must read!

wisdom

"In Wisdom is a spiritre
intelligent, holy, unique,
Manifold, subtle, agile,
clear, unstained, certain,
Not baneful, loving the good, keen,
unhampered, beneficent, kindly,
Firm, secure, tranquil,
all-powerful, all-seeing,
And pervading all spirits,
though they be intelligent, pure and very subtle.
For Wisdom is mobile beyond all motion,
and she penetrates and pervades all things by reason of her purity.
For she is an aura of the might of God
and a pure effusion of the glory of the Almighty;
therefore nought that is sullied enters into her.
For she is the refulgence of eternal light,
the spotless mirror of the power of God,
the image of his goodness.
And she, who is one, can do all things,
and renews everything while herself perduring;
And passing into holy souls from age to age,
she produces friends of God and prophets.
For there is nought God loves, be it not one who dwells with Wisdom.
For she is fairer than the sun
and surpasses every constellation of the stars.
Compared to light, she takes precedence;
for that, indeed, night supplants,
but wickedness prevails not over Wisdom." 
-- Scrpiture


jpr: an essential reminder

a bit more on wisdom

 Wisdom is bright and unfading. She readily appears to those who love her. She’s found by those who keep seeking after her.She makes herself known even in advance to those who desire her with all their hearts. Someone who awakens before dawn to look for her will find her already sitting at the door. 
~ scripture

jpr: why my obsession with this topic?  Try living
 with an individual who finds wisdom inconvenient!

laws of Moses

Content

The content of the Law is spread among the books of Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers, and then reiterated and added to in Deuteronomy. This includes:

·                    the Ten Commandments

·                    Moral laws - on murder, theft, honesty, adultery, etc.

·                    Social laws - on property, inheritance, marriage and divorce,

·                    Food laws  

·                    Purity laws

·                    Feast days

·                    Sacrifices and offerings

·                    Instructions for the priesthood and tithes

·                    Instructions regarding the Tabernacle

·                    Forward looking instructions for time when Israel would demand a king.

jpr: It is said "there was no sin before Moses",  and it is also declared that Christ died as a faithful Jew.  These are the truths for Christian leaders to reconcile with each genegration

righteousness

1 John 3: 7 - 10
7	Little children, let no one deceive you. He who does right  is righteous, as he is righteous.
8	He who commits sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned  from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared  was to destroy the works of the devil.
9	No one born of God commits sin; for God's nature abides in  him, and he cannot sin because he is born of God.
10	By this it may be seen who are the children of God, and who  are the children of the devil: whoever does not do right is not  of God, nor he who does not love his brother. jpr: So it is for Islam, Judaism and many other major religions  of the world. Sorry, politicians can not intervene for us!

more on wisedom

But where can wisdom be found?
    Where does understanding dwell?
¹³ No mortal comprehends its worth;
    it cannot be found in the land of the living.
.....
Where then does wisdom come from?
    Where does understanding dwell?
²¹ It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing,
    concealed even from the birds in the sky.
.....
“The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom,
    and to shun evil is understanding.”

~scripture

jpr: one of my favorite topics since my divorce!

quote

Man born of woman
is short of days and full of trouble.
² He blossoms like a flower, then withers;
he flees like a shadow and does not last.

scripture

advice to men

..Older men should be temperate, dignified,
self-controlled, sound in faith, love, and endurance....

Urge the younger men, similarly, to control themselves,
showing yourself as a model of good deeds in every respect,
with integrity in your teaching, dignity, and sound speech 
that cannot be criticized, so that the opponent will be put to shame..

~ scripture 


jpr: dignity is an important theme here!

advice for women

"Older women should be reverent in their behavior,
not slanderers, not addicted to drink, 
teaching what is good, so that they may train younger women
to love their husbands and children,
to be self-controlled, chaste, good homemakers,
under the control of their husbands..."
~ scripture

jpr: This is a proof of their existence!

discipline by the use of reason

I prayed, and prudence was given me;
I pleaded, and the spirit of wisdom came to me.
I preferred her to scepter and throne,
and deemed riches nothing in comparison with her,
nor did I liken any priceless gem to her;
because all gold, in view of her, is a little sand,
and before her, silver is to be accounted mire.
Beyond health and comeliness I loved her,
and I chose to have her rather than the light,
because the splendor of her never yields to sleep.
Yet all good things together came to me in her company,
and countless riches at her hands.


~scripture