GoodWordEditing.com - Latest Comments in Do You Have a High Calling?

Re: Do You Have a High Calling?

Susan — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 21:38:54 -0000

Marcus - the encouragement is in verses 4-10.

First they get the bad news - "you did this to yourselves; I didn't even have to sell you into slavery or punish you; the consequences of your own actions are sufficiently horrible enough" -

then there is movement towards encouraging the weary one - me - SUSAN - who am suffering the consequences of my own actions from verses 1-1.

Then moving into verses 4-10 He reminds me that I am not God and He is. Perhaps it is not too far out of line with the Hebrew to read verse 4b as "now that I know that it is God that sustains me through what He has given me, I am willing to be awakened to the truth by Him on a daily basis". And then moving into verse 5 - "Now He has opened my ear and I am determined to obey and listen and not ever turn back again, (vs6) no matter how badly others treat me or the temptations I face because (vs7) I never want to be ashamed again" - and trust me, I know shame from verses 1:3.

Tell me what you think of this rather unorthodox personalization of the passage.

Re: Do You Have a High Calling?

Marcus — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 12:30:33 -0000

Susan, hmmm. That question has some elaborate answers.

Short answer: The easiest way I know though, is the "L.L. Barkat method".

Anytime you link to someone, go post a comment on their blog. Many bloggers will click through a link to learn more about you. When they do, voila! they will see that you linked to them. And they might comment.

If you know their email address, you can also give them the heads up with an email. I do that a lot.

Long Answer: blog platforms like WordPress and Typepad allow something called Trackbacks. Claim your blog on Technorati. Then Technorati will receive your new posts and notify other blogs when you link to them (if they are set up to receive the notification). Needless to say, it's a little complicated to set up at first, but VERY VERY useful in the long run. It's also the primary reason I switched from Blogger to Wordpress.

Re: Do You Have a High Calling?

Marcus — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 12:14:10 -0000

ESI, you aren't slow. Just thoughtful and deliberate. Wise. I'm glad you like the new look. We've got some bugs that this blog tour is helping us find, but overall we're very very happy.

Re: Do You Have a High Calling?

Marcus — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 12:12:39 -0000

Charity, you are the best. Thanks for the encouragement. The new site is a big step forward--far from perfect, but a big step.

Susan, I'm still puzzling over the relationship between Isaiah 50:1-3 and 4-5. God chastises his children by selling them into slavery because of their sins. That's an extremely vivid and frightening image of God. So much so that Isaiah's claim to have the words that encourage the weary leaves me wondering... where are those words? Certainly he doesn't mean verses 1-3...

Re: Do You Have a High Calling?

Susan — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 00:11:35 -0000

OK Marcus - the second post is going up now - but I'm not sure how to let everyone that I have hyperlinked know that they're listed - can you advise?

Re: Do You Have a High Calling?

Every Square Inch — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 00:06:13 -0000

Marcus

I'm new to this tour thing and also apparently a little slow to get started. That said, I will get on it real soon and put out the High Calling welcome mat.

Meanwhile, I've checked out the new site and it looks wonderful...no doubt, a credit to your hard work. Outstanding!

Re: Do You Have a High Calling?

Susan — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 23:32:10 -0000

I am not quite sure what to make of Is 50:1-3. Following 49:25,26it seems to me that He is telling them that what they are sufffering is pretty much their own fault because He clearly is willing and able to care for them, not just for their sake, but for His own reputation so that (49:26) all will know what His true character is.

So, my assumption is that 50:1-3 are further indictments of just how incorrectly they have passed judgement on the cause of their own situations - i.e., they think it's His fault and He is quite clearly saying, "no boys, you did this one to yourselves because you didn't respond when I called (vs2) and don't seem yet to have a clue as to who I am (v3)".

The transition seems to me to be in vs 4 - the tongue of disciples - one who follows correctly and listens, does not fall away or turn back - who obeys not matter what. Interestingly, in this particular bible of mine, 4-10 are highlighted, bolded, bracketed and dated multiple times over the course of several years, clearly a passage that I cling to.

Re: Do You Have a High Calling?

Charity Singleton — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 17:23:44 -0000

Hey Marcus -- I had to spend the day DOING my high calling before I could join the tour! I just posted my introduction to the site and am looking forward to digging a little deeper tomorrow. Hope you are getting a lot of good response. The website is fantastic!

Re: Do You Have a High Calling?

Marcus — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 14:34:26 -0000

L.L., crazy story about packing faucets, right? That one went up before I came on board.

Re: Do You Have a High Calling?

Marcus — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 14:33:14 -0000

Carl, thanks! It has pretty much consumed my last few weeks. Our next step is resources for bloggers.

Re: Do You Have a High Calling?

Carl Holmes — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 14:08:46 -0000

New site looks good!

Re: Do You Have a High Calling?

L.L. Barkat — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 11:13:11 -0000

I've been enjoying the articles. Loved that one where the people stole the faucets, thinking that's where the true source of water was!