Sick and Tired? | whitestone2014

SICK AND TIRED

What does it mean to be 'sick and tired'? Merriam-Webster dictionary defines it this way:

"sick and tired", adjective. Definition of sick and tired: thoroughly fatigued or bored also : fed up

Well, I am sick and tired of the Bible being misrepresented, misinterpreted and misunderstood.

We have a readily available, complete resource for guiding our understanding of creation, life, the successful conduct of life, society, government, medicine, education, art, history, language, literature, law, philosophy, theology, anthropology, archaeology, business, economics, geography, sociology, biology, chemistry, science, mathematics, engineering, etc., in the Bible (a 'resource' is a thoroughly inadequate term for the Bible),

And, this Absolute Knowledge for Understanding and Wisdom has been relegated to a specific spectrum information called religion. Most of which, we do not understand or have created into our own image and fashioned by our own human inadequacies.

The reason I am 'sick and tired' of it is that the cost in terms of misguided lives and financial resources is staggering.

One anonymous author puts it this way,

"Christianity at its birth, was a movement.

"When Christianity moved to Italy, it became a religion.

"When Christianity came to Europe, it became a culture.

"When Christianity came to America, it became a business.

"And, what do you call it when someone sells their Body for money?"

I AM SICK OF IT

Georgetown's Brian J. Grim and Newseum's Melissa E. Grim, Interdisciplinary Journal of
Research on Religion, put the cost in terms of dollars this way:

"The largely tax-free religion industry is one of the biggest in America, worth $1.2 trillion/year, a number that includes religious "healthcare facilities, schools, daycare and charities; media; businesses with faith backgrounds; the kosher and halal food markets; social and philanthropic programs; and staff and overheads for congregations." http://www.religjournal.com/pdf/ijrr12003.pdf

What a tragedy. What a waste. And, I am sick of it.

But it doesn't have to be that way. We had great preachers, revivalists and prophets in America, such as Billy Graham, Billy Sunday, Dwight L. Moody, A.W. Tozer and David Wilkerson, before we lost our Spiritual Way and drifted into self indulgence and greed.

I want to introduce you to a scripture which has become unpopular now-a-days, in our 'post modern culture', but which contains the power of the Gospel unto salvation!

Ephesians 5:22 Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. 24But as the church is subject to Christ, so also `the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.

Be subject to, submit to: Strong's concordance #5293 ὑποτάσσω hupotasso hoop-ot-as’-so from 5259 and 5021; v; AV-put under 6, be subject unto 6, be subject to 5, submit (one’s) self unto 5, submit (one’s) self to 3, be in subjection unto 2, put in subjection under 1, misc 12; 40

1) to arrange under, to subordinate

2) to subject, put in subjection

3) to subject one’s self, obey

4) to submit to one’s control

5) to yield to one’s admonition or advice

6) to obey, be subject

This is a Greek military term meaning "to arrange [troop divisions] in a military fashion under the command of a leader". In non-military use, it was "a voluntary attitude of giving in, cooperating, assuming responsibility, and carrying a burden".

Here is the explanation: This is a picture of a Greek military troop division, and the husband is the commander or 'point man' in the formation. A 'point man' is always the first to encounter the enemy or trials. This is done by mutual agreement. The husband is to take the lead and assume the responsibility of facing any and all dangers, troubles and challenges before they reach his wife and the wife's responsibility is to SUBMIT to, rest behind, to take protective cover under the selfless leadership of her husband. It is all done for her, in agreement with her husband.

your OWN husband: 2398 ἴδιος idios id’-ee-os of uncertain affinity; adj; AV-his own 48, their own 13, privately 8, apart 7, your own 6, his 5, own 5, not tr 1, misc 20; 113

1) pertaining to one’s self, one’s own, belonging to one’s self; to be peculiar

Here is the explanation: The Greek word 'idios' when applied to a person, can denote that person as peculiar or especially designed for a particular purpose. In this case, the wife is made, by God, to fulfill a special or peculiar role for God and to her husband.

The woman cannot reach her full God-intended potential and purpose if she does not receive this special protection provided her by God.

But this is only half of the mystery of marriage. Here is the rest of God's plan.

25Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, 26so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. 28So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; 29for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, 30because we are members of His body. 31FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND SHALL BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH.

32This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. 33Nevertheless, each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see to it that she respects her husband.

Marriage is a mystical and supernatural act, created by God for the nourishment, growth, protection and full God given development of the woman.

It is also God's objective for a married man to be complete: The two shall become one flesh, and man's is only made complete this way.

Anything less than this type of mystical and perfect God designed union will result in discouragement, strife, loss and failure in the rest of life, for both the man and the woman.

Thus says the Lord. May His Word accomplish what He desires, succeeding in the matter for which He sent it. (Isaiah 55:11)

Now, let's get this right!

Your Friend and Brother,