Stuff Michael Meeks is doing
|
|
This is my (in)activity log. You might like to visit
Collabora
Productivity a subsidiary of Collabora focusing on LibreOffice support and
services for whom I work.
Also if you have the time to read this sort of stuff you could enlighten
yourself by going to Unraveling Wittgenstein's net or if
you are feeling objectionable perhaps here.
Failing that, there are all manner of interesting things to read on
the LibreOffice Planet news
feed.
Older items:
2023: (
J
F
M
A
M
J
),
2022: (
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
),
2021,
2019,
2018,
2017,
2016,
2015,
2014,
2013,
2012,
2011,
2010,
2009,
2009,
2008,
2007,
2006,
2005,
2004,
2003,
2002,
2001,
2000,
1999,
legacy html
- Gordon
sermon on
Exodus 20 - "No other God".
- And God spoke all these words, "I am the LORD your God,
who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall
have no other gods beside me" - 3 verses only.
- Gallup poll a while ago - good news, 84% Adult Americans
agree that they should order their lives by the 10 commandments; the
bad news: only 42% could recall even 5 of them. A more recent survey
reveals that fewer than 1% can list all 10 in any order. Of Anglican
clurgy in the UK - only 17% can list all 10. Recitation no garentee
of obedience, but a helpful aid,
Deut 6
These commandments ... are to be on your heart.
- A lack of legalism, the order is important, first brought
out of Egypt, then gives them his commandments; salvation by grace
alone. Not saved by works, but for them.
1 John 4we love because He first loved us ... This is love for
God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome.
Not onerous, the very opposite - what we're made for, to know the
moral fabric of the universe. Life is too short to learn by trial
& error.
- Laws that you cannot really break, all our efforts to
find another source of meaning, morality prove the folly of such
sources. Anyone who would seek otherwise is on a path of self
destruction.
- The 10 commandments - a pescription for staying free;
if you don't want to exchange 1 tyrant for another, keep them.
I tell you the truth - everyone who sins is a slave to sin ... so
if the son sets you free, you will be free indeed. If you've been
set free,
Gal 1: It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm
then and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of
slavery.
- Acknowledge some difficulties in understanding this.
The awkward implication that there are 'other gods' -
seems to credit them with too much existance; why not say: There
are no other gods.
- The OT. and the immediate context of this passage leaves
no doubt that there are no other gods, great difficulty in God getting
Egypt out of Israel, 10 plagues - why so many ? to disuade Israel of
Egypts 'gods' and to ridicule them:
- The Egyptians worshiped various aspects of creation - they
deified the Nile (
Hapi) eg. so God in is 1st plague turns it into blood, humiliating
him. The 2nd plague - the Frog deity, assigned the job of assisting
in birth ('Heket') - God covers the land with frogs: "you want to
worship them ? - here have a few." - and the plagues go on, the 9th
plague: worshiped the Sun (
Re), so there God caused darkness at mid-day; in the 10th plague:
you worship Pharoe - the incarnation of the falcon god, source of life,
protection of families - every first-born from the house of Pharoe on
down is lost before the judgement of God (cf. what Moses escaped).
Ex 12:12 I will bring judgement on all the gods of Egypt - I am
the Lord
- Good to remember God's painful judgements by which he
rescued them from Egypt, so they should not be frightened of them.
Not even any competiton out there.
- Why then credit the gods ? - Pharoe is not the incarnation
of Horus, nor will he become the incarnation of Osiris when he dies,
it's not so. But he is the King of Egypt - a force to be reckoned with.
Same with the other gods. If there is anything, it is demonic. They
sacrificed to daemons (which are not God) (Deut 32).
- Secondly - why add before me ? the translation
makes it sounds like just the 1st in the list. The Hebrew has a couple
of meanings; probably both true. Main text 'before me' - a spatial
sense - in my presence;
- The footnote - No other God besides me - ie. no-one
apart from him: no rival. Isn't it wonderful that he loves you with a
jealous love. Realised that she was bothered if he was too interested in her roommate.
An exclusive, special love - a great premium on sharing, toys, snacks,
books on the reference shelf, all through life we have to share.
- Some things that must never be shared; bank account & PIN,
answers to exams, confidential information - but especially marital love,
they must never share the exclusive intimacy that belongs to marriage.
- The amazing thing, God loves us enough that he wants us to be
the sole object of our worship, no other guidance for our lives - than the
guidance of his loving direction. Israel didn't get it, their problem was
never with atheism, like ours: 'and-theism', "God ... and".
- How does it apply to me ? the Sun God 'Re' means nothing to me,
don't like Thor, Baal a cricket thing. But these are the tip of the iceburg.
Habakkuk - whose own strength is their God. We can worship our
education, health, strength. There are those whose God is their
stomach, the God of the self ?
- A great example - the God of greed; the love of money.
Job 31
If I had rejoiced over my great wealth ... I would have been unfaithful
to God on high. Jesus said no servant can serve two masters ...
you cannot serve God and Mammon - 'Mammon' lit. 'the thing you trust in'.
- The Bible doesn't condem wealth - nor does it glorify poverty.
You can have nothing, and still think about money all the time. You can
gauge your self-by the amount of money you (or others) have, or instead by
how much God loves you/them. God will have nothing of it, if money becomes
your God, it's an affront to him who demands your exclusive love &
loyalty.
- The story of A Window to Heaven - Dr Diane M. Komp -
the on-time chief of paediatric oncology at Yale's school of paediatric
medicine - she came to faith by ministering to the children in her care,
dying of cancer. And the radical call of "I am the Lord your God", not
to re-order priorities from work to family, but to put your whole trust
in God.
My content in this blog and associated images / data under
images/ and data/ directories are (usually)
created by me and (unless obviously labelled otherwise) are licensed under
the public domain, and/or if that doesn't float your boat a CC0
license. I encourage linking back (of course) to help people decide for
themselves, in context, in the battle for ideas, and I love fixes /
improvements / corrections by private mail.
In case it's not painfully obvious: the reflections reflected here are my
own; mine, all mine ! and don't reflect the views of Collabora, SUSE,
Novell, The Document Foundation, Spaghetti Hurlers (International),
or anyone else.
It's also important to realise that I'm not in on the Swedish Conspiracy.
Occasionally people ask for formal photos for conferences
or fun.
Michael Meeks (michael.meeks@collabora.com)
