Jack’s Winning Words 11/13/13
“God delights in concealing things; scientists delight in discovering things.”  (New reading of Proverbs 25:2)  In seminary biblical studies I learned these words regarding the Old and New Testaments…”The New is in the Old concealed; the Old is in the New revealed.”  In other words, God has a way of showing himself in both the Old and the New.  Did it ever occur to you that God might like to play, Hide and Seek?    ;-)  Jack

 FROM RB IN MICHIGAN:  Ah ha!  This is why there is "Gospel" in both the Old and New Testaments...
Always enjoy your take on life via winning words.  What does the "c" stand for? Is there a little christian (c) waiting to come out in all.====JACK:  There's "Law" in both, too.  If Gospel means, good news, does Law mean, bad news?  BTW, the "c" is part of a secret code to determine where my customers are.====RB:  I agree there is law in both, but many will say NT is all Gospel. The contrary of this like many statements is false. This is why the high priests, scribes, and Sadducees had such a hard time understanding Christ (our big C) - no code required :)  By the way didn't you teach me that all we come in contact with are c's = community?  God's blessings on your day.====JACK:  I've learned that it is a never ending quest to bring harmony among all who have their way of interpreting the Bible, or religion in general.

 FROM MICHIZONA RAY:  I have often wondered "why" about many things like life-on-earth, suffering, temporal V. Eternity, spatial V. Infinity, Grace and not Grace, temptation, and many more! I know I may never know or understand them; but I wonder about them just the same. Do you suppose God giggles at even our contemplations for that which is hidden and exposed?====JACK:  My mother used to do embroidery.  Her work was beautiful, until you looked at the underside.  That was a mess.  Could it be that God is an embroiderer, too, and when we see life as a "mess," we're simply looking at the underside of God's work?

 FROM TARMART REV:  "In the fullness of time . . . " My mind this morning was taken back because of your posting to the chronological order of years and historical moments highlighted at the new Holocaust Center in Farmington Hills. I would enjoy studying that once again . . . maybe next year.====JACK:  We  continue to search for the hidden "good" in the Holocaust event.====REV:  Yes we do . . . emotionally moved each time I visit the memorial . . . worshipping at Temple Kol Ami those five years and having somewhat of a relationship with Rabbi Conrad will always be a highlight in my life.====JACK:  A Christian congregation worshipping in a Jewish Temple certainly made a statement in our community.  It's too bad that it wasn't able to continue...but life goes on.  Only G-d is forever.

 FROM FACEBOOK LIZ:  Interesting.  With the recent discovery of 8 billion other "earths," it seems God has more to reveal & we, to discover...====JACK:  One of the lessons taught by diversity is that there are others in the world (universe) besides us.  I try hard to look at others and see them as individuals, like myself.

 FROM JT IN MICHIGAN:  No, I never thought of God playing hide and seek, but with Scripture study I am finally seeing how everything in the Old Testament is preparation for the New.  Am studying Revelation this year and unwrapping the symbolism John uses.  (I wonder if he ever thought he'd be writing for such a lightweight as me?)====JACK:  Jesus seemed to identify more with the "lightweights" of society than with those who had all of the answers. Karl Barth, the famous theologian, was asked to explain his belief in God.  He responded, "Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so."  Don't become too worked up about the Book of Revelation.  Even those who determined which books should be in the Bible struggled over its inclusion.  It squeaked in.

FROM BLAZING OAKS:  I LIKE THE SEMINARY SAYING ABOUT OLD AND NEW....IT'S AS GOOD AS "YOU CAN'T UNSCREW THE INSCRUTABLE" THAT YOU QUOTED ONCE, AND I ALWAYS REMEMBERED! NEAT TURN OF PHRASE.   WHEN YOU REALIZE THAT ALL THAT EXISTS FROM ANY ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT OF THE NEW TESTAMENT IS A SCRAP OF PAPYRUS NO BIGGER THAN A CREDIT CARD, WITH A COUPLE OF VERSES FROM THE GOSPEL OF JOHN, AND ALL THE REST ARE COPIES OF COPIES OF COPIES (HAND DONE IN THE EARLY CENTURIES!)...YOU DO REASON THAT TO KNOW THE WHOLE TRUTH AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH,  WILL HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL "WE KNOW, EVEN AS WE'RE
KNOWN" IN THE NEXT PHASE OF ETERNAL LIFE !====JACK:  There's a lot that is contained in that small word, faith.  Mark Twain tried to be humorous when he said, "Faith is believing what you know ain't so."  But, when you've had to lean on it, faith ain't so funny.

 FROM SHARIN' SHARON:  Actually, it was in a church Bible study with Pastor Schulz, studying in the group the book of Isaiah, that I had a deep faith experience so that started trusting more and more in scripture, growing faith in God and believing that His church carries His Word for us. Ever since then, I've believe that God can come to anyone He chooses as they are reading and studying any part of the Bible He chooses to talk to us through. It's all pertinent to someone's faith journey and when once you find one scripture passage meaningful, seems to me a person starts wondering and looking to see if any other scripture passage says something personal to oneself too. Does God hide himself and keep secrets--I don't believe so, it is our condition that makes us thus so in the relationship. The wonder and miracle to me is that the scientists keep on looking.====JACK:  There's nothing wrong with a God who enjoys playfulness.  In school I recall how satisfying it was to come up with a right answer after studying and studying.  ====SHARON:  Thinking some more about this and actually, I believe God can come to us however we, in our sinful nature, open ourselves up to receiving Him. There must be something God puts in us that makes us all keep at it, since He created us maybe he put questions we have the audacity to think we originated ourselves in us too. Wouldn't that be humorous? Or do we need to think we can think so much ourselves? What makes God delight in us? What makes us delight in God?