  Spiritual
This week: Edited by: Becky Simpson  
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What an incredible warm welcome you all gave me with my first newsletter. Your response warmed my heart and made me feel at home. Thank you each and every one. So, this month what shall we discuss? Without a doubt the Bible has been around for thousands of years and longer if you count the historical sections. This means we have a myriad of subjects to choose from. Add to this the eternal nature of God, and we are literally unable to discuss all that is possible in our lifetimes. Many of you jumped into my portfolio and found things of interest for you. So I will avoid those works and subjects for now.
One book I have been spending some time on lately is Matthew. We all know there are four gospels which are basically four separate descriptions of the life and sayings of Christ. If you remember last week, I apologized for offending you “if” anything I had said had done so. So this month I thought perhaps it would be appropriate for me to show you why I am so concerned with this. We will also look at any available writings on the subject here on Writing.Com. I will offer some of my favorite authors for you to port raid, and finally, give you a list of items worthy of being added to your reading list. As always I save the best for last: answering your comments from last week. Becky Simpson
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" MY SAVIOR" Shadow
MY SAVIOR
When I was lost, You were there,
All it took was a simple prayer.
You covered my sins with Your grace,
You were there to plead my case.
Now my heart is filled with love,
You washed me clean, white as a dove.
You are my bright shining light,
that leads the way to all that is right.
Not my will, but your will be done,
I pray that more and more souls are won.
Thank You Jesus for saving me,
I hope that soon all will see.
Soon I will get the hang of writing this newsletter, until then I beg you to bear with me. I think before we study the Bible, Koran, Septuagint, or any religious document we should look at the text from the stated document for the subject we will be discussing. I also think that it is important that we keep other people’s feelings in mind as we write. There are many religions in the world and therefore many ways to be spiritual. I am sorry to say my knowledge of most of these is very limited and without extensive research I would not feel comfortable discussing them. Now here is the text from the King James Version of the Bible that I wish to apply to my discussion.
Mt 18:6 But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.
Mt 18:7 Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!
Mt 18:8 Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire.
Mt 18:9 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.
Mt 18:10 Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.
The whole of chapter 18 of Matthew is aimed at offenses and forgiveness. It is a chapter to remind us not to get too comfortable with our righteousness. More to the point is that in these few verses I find my reason to be concerned about offending others. While these verses specifically pertain to Christians, they are, as a general principle, good words by which to live our lives.
Christ, addressing his gathered disciples, first sets a child before them and tells them that unless they become as a child they cannot enter heaven. In essence what is being said is that we must have the humbleness and innocence of a child. Beginning with verse six, He uses the term little ones to mean new Christians or simply Christians. I simply carry it a bit further because, if I should sin against or offend another, I damage not only my relationship with them but the possibility of them ever accepting Jesus into their life.
I don’t know about you, but the second half of that verse is not very appealing. Yet it is worse than we may be lead to think. The Jewish people so abhorred drowning that it was used as punishment only once in the entire Bible. Yet this is compounded by the use of the millstone. There were two millstones used in Jewish life: a large one which we find Samson pushing after his capture and a smaller one used by the women to prepare food. It is this larger stone, the one we would have no hope of escaping from that Jesus refers to. What a way to die!
This alone would be enough to make me want to avoid offending others, but it doesn’t stop there. Jesus goes on to tell His disciples that offenses (sin) must needs come into the world. Why? The short answer is that through evil God does good. The example is Joseph who was thrown into a hole and left for dead, then sold as a slave. Eventually he becomes second in command in Egypt and saves his family from famine. Yet Jesus warns of woe for the man that is the cause of this evil.
Some seem to think the next two verses imply Jesus advocates self-mutilation. PLEASE, understand, your body is a temple, in your heart and soul is where God and Jesus reside. Do you really think They want a mutilated body? This would seem a gross misinterpretation of scripture to me. What I see is that Jesus is trying to tell us it will not be easy for us to avoid offending others or from being offended. Yet we have a responsibility to try to control our minds; to stop our eyes from seeking out things that are not of God; to stay our hand from doing the devil’s work and our feet from carrying us off the path to a heavenly home. He doesn’t expect us to use whips on ourselves nor to cut anything off, He just wants us to center our life on Him.
Whew what a wild ride for our minds. Still, Jesus isn’t done with us, He has one last admonition for us. It is through this verse that it is the easiest to be convicted, for some. He tells us to not despise one of these little ones. Here, my fellow Christians and all others who read these words, is the crux of some of the world’s problems. We choose to discount others’ beliefs. It seems to me Jesus has already told us to love one another. What do you think? Do we despise what we don’t understand? Do we not also fear the very same thing?
It is because of this that I feel I need to apologize to those who are offended by my words. It is without intent I assure you because I do not think myself God. I don’t know all the answers. In this last verse Jesus tells us the angels watch over us. Some interpret this to mean we have guardian angels. Sorry, I don’t know what it means, but I know personally to say something different limits God’s ability. Jesus says angels plural; I believe that means more than one.
This is my opinion of course, please take it as such and don’t allow something I say cause you to stumble, or think for one moment I don’t hold your beliefs in the highest regard. I am a Christian, for this I cannot apologize, so if the very fact that I write about the Bible offends you, I can only suggest that you help me understand your religion or simply your beliefs. One thing I can promise you is I will never make fun of you.
Whether we discuss the Bible or some other religious work, I will treat it with equal respect. In return I ask you to allow me to suggest this: Religion is not evil, but just as we talked about evil earlier, be careful of those who use the word to convince us to do things that seem immoral and remember Jesus’ words: Woe unto the man by whom such offenses enter the world.
Tip of the day: Need a tool to help you remember what certain chapters in the bible are about? Try something like this: For Matthew chapter one, think of a cake with one candle on it. It represents the birth of Jesus.
Next month I would love to take a quick look at the Koran and Islam. You may be surprised to find some similarities with the Bible.
I am always at your service
Becky L Simpson
" If God was a tree"
If God was a tree,
He'd rise so high,
He'd reach half the planet
With one long look.
His branches would let light through,
His bark would be warm,
His roots would grow deep
And keep the Earth together.
Agnie
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The following members of Writing.Com are some of my favorite writers on Writing.Com. They exhibit and understanding and skill that, simply put, amaze me. I hope those I have forgotten will forgive me, but as time goes on and my memory prods, me this list will change.
Vivian 
Puditat
Dreams - Anon, who are you?
Lexi 
👼intuey 
Andrea
revdbob
Brother Don
SUGGESTED READINGS:
My suggested readings for this month:
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CONTESTS:
There will be no challenge this issue. I will take the time to once again enjoin you to send me articles, poems, or just your favorite verses. I am a generous reviewer, and it would be deeply appreciated.
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Have an opinion on what you've read here today? Then send the Editor feedback! Find an item that you think would be perfect for showcasing here? Submit it for consideration in the newsletter!
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Questions and comments from last month my thanks to those who wrote in, if you wish to comment this month feel free, I shall answer them individually.
Submitted By: Jozii
Submitted Comment:
I'm sorry to have to say this, but of all the newsletters I've received this week, this one was the worst. I understand that you want to introduce yourself, since it's your first spiritual newsletter, but this was simply too much. You didn't even pick items for people to read! EVERYTHING, except maybe for the words frpm the sponsor, was about YOU and your christian belifs, which I couldn't care less about. Readers appriciate "personal" editors, who don't fear writing in a personal style, but you are just too much!
Sorry for my hard words here, but there is room for improvement. I hope next time you will have plenty of items for me to read, and a personal in style, yet not personal in content newsletter.
Thanks for your time,
Jozii
Jozii,
I am not sure this was addressed to me since you did not mention an editor’s name but I felt the need to address you. To say I’m sorry I disappointed you would be an understatement. Perhaps I have stumbled in stepping out of an area I was uncomfortable with to attempt to satisfy a personal need and should have stayed where I was. Unfortunately it is far too late for me to go back. Suffice to say your message is clear and I shall endeavor to bring deeper material less personal in nature to this effort. I do not apologize for sharing a bit about myself, sorry. I would ask you to accept the simple fact that I only had a few days to put a message together. Again should it become apparent I have no business here I will happily and without second thought step down. Thank you for sharing your opinion. – hugs Becky
Submitted By: Big Mike 2humble2bragbut...
Submitted Comment:
Becky,
Welcome! Good start. It probably offended some, because this nl has not been exclusively Christian. It's okay. Jesus offended a lot of people, and if we faithfully represent Him, it will offend some. Keep up the good work!
Hi Mike,
I think it is safe to say Mike that indeed a few were offended. I thank you for your kind comments and wish to take a moment to point out that my writings will cover a wide variety of things. I learned a great deal writing the poetry newsletter and I hope to learn much more from this one. – Hugs Becky
Submitted By: Puditat
Submitted Comment:
Becky, welcome to the Spiritual team. I was thrilled with your editorial. Such a beautiful and uplifting poem. Well done. I look forward to what else you bring to the readers.
Hi Puditat,
Thank you for your kind words of encouragement. I hope that I do not disappoint too many readers. - Hugs Becky
Submitted By: Brother Don
Submitted Comment:
Becky, I am so pleased to see you editing this newsletter! Your first issue is superb. Your insights are very accurate and compassionate. Your poem says everything I wanted to say but in about one-fourth of the space I use. I look forward to learning more about you and reading whatever materials you select to present in the newsletter.
Don Brown
Hi Don,
 I hope you don’t mind me using such a personal term for addressing you. One of the greatest joys in my life is the family I make in a church and have made here on Writing.com. You are one that I count as a family member. I appreciate your kind words but I assure you that your words would be much more eloquent. Hugs – Becky
Submitted By: Kenzie 
Submitted Comment:
Great introduction, Becky. The poem was a great way to explain your faith. And you know what? I found myself smiling, because I actually felt "hugged."
Blessings,
Kenzie
Hi Kenzie,
Thank you, I fear some sensed malice in the words that were not meant to be. Whether someone believes in the same thing I do or not, does not matter in that poem. What really matters is the outlook on the world. – Hugs Becky
Submitted By: rmsalsman
Submitted Comment:
Hi, I really enjoyed this newsletter.
Your statement
"but anybody who does not recognize the Spirit in God’s word must be truly hardhearted." seems a little harsh but I may have misunderstood your meaning.
Spirit speaks in so many different ways that when one is expecting a certain communication and that communication comes in a form different from what is expected, one may not recognise it--it has nothing to do with hardheartedness.
In my opinion ‘hardhearted’ is a relative term. Perhaps a message is given and the meaning is meant to be understood at a later time. Again it has nothing to do with being hardhearted.
Each individual soul evolves/learns at a rate that is suitable to that certain individual. Some are highly evolved and others are not. The rate of learning does not mean that the heart is hard.
But as I said, I may have misunderstood your meaning. Good work,
Chanon
Hi Chanon,
We discussed this at length through email but I thought you’d like to know that it is not the recognizing that makes one hardhearted in this you are correct. It is a conscious choice to ignore the spirit. I apologize for the misunderstanding. – Hugs Becky
Submitted By: Vivian
Submitted Comment:
Good first issue, Becky. You're a good addition to the editorial staff. Hugs.
Mom,
Since I have learned so much from you including faith in the absence of anything concrete anything I do I hope truly honors you and glorifies God. - Hugs – Becky
Submitted By: windac
Submitted Comment:
First and foremost Becky, WELCOME! Your loving spirit will be a true blessing for the readership of the SNL.
I thoroughly enjoyed your first issue, and look forward to hearing what you have to share!!!
Hi Wings, Thank you for your very warm welcome. I have desired to write for this newsletter for a long time and consider it a blessing. Not only do I get to write for the Spiritual News Letter but I get to work with an excellent group of editors. – Hugs Becky
Submitted By: PlannerDan
Submitted Comment:
Welcome to the SNL, Becky. I think you will find there are countless folks who will embrace you and support your efforts. Unfortunately, there will be some who will be offended by your honesty. I encourage you to be true to yourself and your faith. From what I can see, you've made a very good start. I look forward to your second entry.
Hi Dan, It is a pleasure to see you here. Thank you for you kind comments and I think without a doubt I have indeed offended some. I hope as I continue they will come to know my sincerity. I hope you will continue to read. – Big Hugs Becky
Submitted By: Uniqueey
Submitted Comment:
Good job on your first newsletter...I'll pray that the Lord continues to guide you and work in your life and when you write the newsletter!
God Bless,
Uniqueey
Hi, Thank you for your encouragement. This subject is near and dear to my heart and I pray God puts the right words at my fingertips to encourage others. – Hugs Becky
To the rest of you kind readers who made comments about last month’s newsletter; thank you. If it were not for your kind words, I would be inclined to find another way to spend the time I spend here.
If you have a question, comment or just an observation concerning this edition of the Spiritual Newsletter, please feel free to send it to me. I would also like our newsletter readers to send me their favorite work. Please include the writer’s name. I prefer works from Writing.Com.
Next weeks editor:Puditat
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Spiritual: August 23, 2006 Issue [#1219]
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