Morning, Zane.
Interesting date today—making it possible to identify it with an arrangement of four 2s—2222. It occurs to me that on the 22nd of this month it will advance to five 2s.
I’m wishing I could get some more feedback from you. How are things? How would you rate your current “faith walk”? Do you find any personal benefits flowing from these devotionals?
We engaged in a very successful fun outing yesterday during the 5-hour window of time we had with Thano’s son Nicholas. We picked him up and went straight to Government Camp where we were able to catch the last bus up to Timberline, then ski a trail back down to Government Camp. The whole outing went about perfect. Nick did great on skis and the dogs were absolutely pumped. I’ll try again to stick on a photo. If you zoom in on the photo, you can see evidence of Tazzy’s addiction. While he was so delighted to be in that environment, he didn’t leave behind his ball-fetching passion.
Love and prayers—Tua/Ray.
Here’s the phrase that’s standing out to me right now—“…you refuse to enter in.”
I confess that I don’t really read the fine print of “legalese” in a complicated description of terms and conditions I must agree to before completing the installation of a new piece of software, or taking out a loan, or the like. I don’t know anyone who does. Reading all that stuff can seem silly—even redundant. All I want is to get what I want. So I just click, “I AGREE.” Can you imagine anyone who really wants to use this software clicking “I DISAGREE,” and risk being blocked from using the product? Why take time with such formal trivia? And even if at some point I unwittingly disagree or violate the technical terms, who is going to know, or come after me?
Is it possible that this sloppy approach to TERMS AND CONDITIONS works to contaminate our own attitudes and compliance with the TERMS AND CONDITIONS God sets forth for entering His Kingdom? In regards to the “religious scholars” and “Pharisees,” it seems that they did the equivalent of clicking the “I AGREE” button when by their true attitudes and lifestyles they actually were REFUSING—or clicking the “I DISAGREE” button.
Three very clearly-stated TERMS AND CONDITIONS are given by Jesus right here in this passage. As He condemns the “religious scholars” and “Pharisees”, He says it’s OK to be technical about things like paying tithes—but don’t get high-centered on that kind of thing and “ignore the most important duty of all: